Shards of Memory
by Drake Clawfang
Summary: Cloud and Terra join forces to battle Kefka and Sephiroth as they search for their Crystals, and confront their own troubled pasts on the way. An alternate telling of the game's events from their POV. Not a typical shipping fic, romance is subtle.
1. Living in a Dreamworld

**Story is rated "K+" for minor coarse language, frequent violence with some blood, and minor romantic themes. The story *is* CloudxTerra centric, but the romance is often light and subtle. If you're expecting lovey-dovey scenes where they spend their time kissing and flirting, you're in the wrong place. The relationship will progress slowly and IMO realistically, but it *will* occur.  
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**Also, feel free to please contribute to this fic's TV Tropes page, search "Shards of Memory" to find it.**

Shards of Memory

Chapter 1

Living in a Dreamworld

"_**A man's real possession is his memory. In nothing else is he rich, in nothing else is he poor."**_ – Alexander Smith

* * *

Cloud kept his head ducked inside the small, slightly cramped gondola car. He couldn't believe he had been talked into this. But he was on the car now, not much to do for it. He listened to the car creak as his companion turned to look out the window.

"Oh, Cloud! Look!"

Cloud turned his head to watch the Chocobos run by on the track a few feet away, fireworks launching into the air as they crossed the finish line.

"Teioh won again," his companion mused. Cloud turned to face the opposite side of the gondola car.

The seat was empty.

Cloud's eyes went wide as the voice of the young woman, so familiar and yet so foreign, kept speaking.

"You know, when we first me, I think I saw him in you," the voice said. Cloud shook slightly as he edged as far away from the source of the voice as he could. "Cloud, you okay?" the voice asked. Cloud stared at the nothingness of the seat as the voice kept speaking. "Cloud?" it asked, coming closer. Cloud shifted off the seat, and fell against the side of the gondola as the source of the voice settled above him.

"Cloud, what's wrong?"

"Cloud!"

* * *

Cloud's eyes popped open, and he sat up with a gasp. He lifted a hand to his forehead, and brought it back covered in cold sweat.

"Another one of those dreams, hm?"

Cloud looked up at Firion standing against a wall not far away, eyes watching him, arms crossed. Beside him in the halls of the ancient castle they had been searching that day, Tidus and Cecil slept sitting up against the wall, undisturbed by Cloud's nightmare. They had hoped one of the Warriors of Chaos had been hiding here, or one of the Crystals been hidden here in their place. They had been wrong.

"Yes," Cloud nodded, blinking and turning his head away. The same type of dream, speech that he sensed he knew but couldn't remember, and an invisible speaker who wouldn't reveal themselves. More discomforting than the dreams of someone he couldn't see, was the idea that somehow, Cloud _knew_ someone should be there. More than that, he _knew_ who that person was. But as he tried to grasp at the idea of who that could be, who they were or what they looked like, the fragments evaded his hand and refused to answer him.

"And you still cannot remember her?" Firion asked, crouching down beside him. Cloud shook his head. It wasn't the first time this had happened, different scenes had played in his head ever since Cosmos had summoned him and the other nine warriors to save the Crystals and restore order. At first he had brushed them off as nightmares caused by the stress and revelation of the event, but it had been some time now and the nightmares had not ceased. It was a small comfort they only happened two or three times a week, if they were to escalate to every day Cloud was sure he would lose his mind to insomnia.

"No, all I know is that it's a woman's voice, and…she's a friend…I think," Cloud said. His memories of whom and what he should know were getting harder to recall. Cloud couldn't understand it, but one by one his memories were slipping away. He had spoken with Cosmos on the matter. The goddess of harmony did not know the cause, but she felt certain that whatever spell was tormenting the soldier's memories, the power of the Crystals could undo it. Cloud hoped so. He had said, and she had agreed, that this amnesia was not natural, that his memory loss was being forced upon him. He didn't have any idea as to who or what could be behind it though.

"Is there anything at all you can remember about her?" Firion asked. Cloud strained to voice what little he could.

"She…was important to me, and…pretty, and nice," he said slowly. "Something…something happened…she went away…dammit, why can't I remember!" Cloud clutched his hand to his face and let out a small growl of frustration. Firion cast a gaze up at Cecil and Tidus. Tidus was a surprisingly sound sleeper, considering his energy when awake. Cecil was somewhat more responsive, but fortunately, Cloud's outburst hadn't awoken either of them. Firion was awake to keep watch over his sleeping comrades, but he was a light sleeper anyway. As he had told Cloud, he was used to functioning with little sleep.

"I don't know," Firion replied. "But for you to have so many nightmares like this, and you to still know her, you must have many memories of her."

"But that's just it!" Cloud said. "I used to have so many, I know I did. So why are they slipping away? I can't remember her face, who she was to me, how I knew her…I mean, Tifa, Barret, Cid, I remember them. So why can't I remember who she is?"

"Her name? You can't even recall that?" Firion asked. Cloud closed his eyes and thought hard for a moment.

"Something…something beginning with an 'A'," he finally said. "I don't know." Firion sighed and stood up.

"What was happening in this dream, anyway?"

"It…there were fireworks, and Chocobos…and…and…"

"And, what?" Firion prompted. Cloud strained himself, and his shoulders slumped.

"And…nothing. That's all I can remember."

* * *

Miles and miles away, a pair of slim, slightly luminous green eyes cracked open. With a satisfied grunt, Sephiroth rose from his cross-legged position and let out a breath, stretching slightly.

"I trust your foray was successful," Golbez said, standing some distance away.

"Yes," Sephiroth replied, brushing off his coat from the time on the ground in the rear halls of the Chaos Shrine. "Another night, another memory sliced as cleanly as a blossom. Not that he'll miss it, in a few hours he'll barely know it was ever there."

"I have to say, though I am willing to assist you as you meddle in the boy's memories, I don't fully understand your reasons for doing so," Golbez muttered, crossing his arms. "If you can seize control of him, why not do so now?"

"Surely you're no stranger to the difficulties of mind manipulation, Golbez," Sephiroth said lowly, casting the armored mage a glance. Sephiroth had heard all about Golbez's time on his world, manipulating and being manipulated. In that, Golbez was one of the few Warriors of Chaos who could appreciate his efforts with Cloud. "I could take control of him, yes, but unfortunately his mental defenses are too strong. By shattering his memories of the Ancient, I can make him much more malleable. In time, he will be mine to control, but not yet." Sephiroth smiled slightly. He had made Cloud his puppet once before. To do so again would be a satisfying taste of nostalgia.

"I see," Golbez nodded. "This I understand. What is it about that girl that makes destroying her memories so particular to you?" Sephiroth closed his eyes as his small smile faded.

"The Ancient has caused me just as much trouble as Cloud Strife ever did, if not more," he growled, clenching his fist. "To use his memories of her to destroy him is an appropriate method for them both. A pity he won't realize the poetic irony of his demise."

"Hmph. Just so long as you remember our agreement," Golbez warned, stepping closer. "When you take control of him, Cecil is to remain unharmed."

"Of course," Sephiroth agreed, opening his eyes. Entering Cloud's mind in his sleep and removing his memories was a careful, challenging process, he could do it easily enough under ideal circumstances. The problem was that such circumstances included, among other things, complete and total concentration. Were he to be careless or distracted, he could snap the wrong thought at the wrong time and shatter Cloud's mind into chaos. And he would eventually, but for the time being he needed Cloud's mind intact, and to ensure it stayed that way he needed to not be disturbed while he was working.

Among the other Warriors of Chaos, Golbez was one of the few competent ones not wrapped up in his own self-absorbed schemes and desires, at least as far as Sephiroth was concerned. The warlock had his own agenda of course, as as the SOLDIER had his, but neither was so focused as to not look to others. When Golbez had heard of Sephiroth's plan to seize control of Cloud and the difficulties he was encountering with disturbances from their allies, he had offered a deal to Sephiroth. If he agreed to leave Cecil alone when the time came, Golbez would watch over Sephiroth during his time in Cloud's mind and ensure the others did not disturb his concentration.

Sephiroth held no interest in Cecil. He was a competent warrior, and if need be he could enjoy sparring with him and testing his power. But in the grander scheme he was simply an object of vague interest, nothing more. And so Sephiroth had agreed with Golbez's terms. Firion and Tidus, neither of them cared for the other two. Mateus wanted Firion for himself, but if Sephiroth had Cloud kill the man then the emperor would just have to deal with it. As for Tidus it was much the same matter, though with the additional complication that Jecht's loyalties were uncertain. Killing Tidus would intensify those complications, so that would have to be handled delicately. But Sephiroth's manipulations were taking time, and if he were lucky then Jecht himself would be gone by the time he was ready and the situation would have resolved itself.

"So, how much longer will it take?" Golbez asked, drawing Sephiroth from his thoughts.

"Not long at all. It will be several more days, likely a week or two. Once I've finished cleaning up what few fragmented memories of the Ancient that are left, overlaying the gaps in his mind with more 'suitable' memories will be simple. Cloud will bend to my will as easily as grass in a harsh breeze," he said.

"You're beginning to sound like Kuja," Golbez snorted.

"Oh, is he now?"

Golbez and Sephiroth turned to the end of the hall as Kuja himself floated from the darkness, flicking a few strands of lavender hair from his eyes as he stopped a few feet from the two and set down to the cold tile ground.

"Speak of the devil," Sephiroth muttered.

"You flatter me," Kuja said drolly, making a show of bowing. Sephiroth grunted. Kuja was intelligent and powerful, enough so Sephiroth could consider him a possible confidant along with Golbez, but his playful and often downright bizarre behavior made it difficult to speak to him. For the time being though Kuja was useful and loyal, two qualities that in Sephiroth's opinion did not often coincide with the same person. So for the time being Sephiroth tolerated him, he had no reason to quarrel with Kuja, and his eccentricities not withstanding the genome seemingly had no desire to give him one.

"What do you want, Kuja?" Golbez asked. Kuja turned his attention to him and smiled.

"So harsh, Golbez, and what for?" he said. "Are we not all allies in this grand play that Chaos has so graciously written for us?"

"Just answer the question," Golbez ordered. Kuja's smile vanished as he crossed his arms. Sephiroth watched with mild amusement. Kuja disliked when he overly-poetic speech was so firmly rejected, and Golbez knew it. He wasn't sure why Golbez didn't like Kuja, but he didn't care enough to find out.

"It's time for a dress rehearsal; Mateus has called a gathering," Kuja answered, turning and tossing his hair. "We're all to attend. Come along, now." Kuja rose back up into the air and glided away down the hall, inches above the floor. Golbez slowly walked after him to the main hall, and after a moment Sephiroth followed.

* * *

Emperor Mateus turned and nodded slightly as Kuja emerged from the pillars lining the sides of the Chaos Shrine, Golbez and Sephiroth stepping out behind him. Kuja floated down to sit on the edge of the ledge, while Golbez took up a relaxed posture leaning on a pillar. From his vantage point, Sephiroth looked over the shrine and surveyed what he had, with some reluctance, begun to think of as his 'allies'.

Mateus was a powerful, intelligent man, but his pride would prove his downfall. Sephiroth had heard from Golbez whispers of a plan the emperor was making, plotting to seize power and challenge Chaos. Through his emissary Garland, Chaos made it clear he knew of Mateus' plans and didn't care, Mateus was no threat to his power and whatever schemes he was hatching could be thwarted. Sephiroth was intrigued by Mateus' far-reaching desires and how he planned to achieve them, but he hadn't given them much thought, the only people who would have details would be loathe to share them.

Beside Mateus, the top platform of the shrine stood empty. Ultimecia had been the first of their number to fall, dispatched by the boy she had worked so hard to deceive and manipulative, Squall Leonhart. When she was alive, Sephiroth hadn't spoken to her much, but from their few conversations had decided he didn't care for her. The sorceress was as arrogant as Mateus and as vain as Kuja, and she flaunted her looks and power needlessly. It was of course a detriment to their group that she had perished, but Sephiroth did not miss her.

Below the ledge where Sephiroth stood, the Cloud of Darkness hovered. Sephiroth had spoken with her briefly. She took on the form of a beautiful and shapely woman, but the aura of power was far greater than any mortal could measure up to. The entity had expressed an interest in Sephiroth turning Cloud against his allies, and whispered she 'looked forward' to his results. Sephiroth had decided she was a possible ally if he needed one, like Golbez she was powerful and tolerable. But the cloud was often away from the shrine, overseeing matters elsewhere, and with Golbez at his side for now Sephiroth hadn't approached her.

At the bottom of the shrine walkway, on the opposite side where he now stood, Jecht was leaning his arm on his sword and kept his head low. Sephiroth had asked Golbez about Jecht, the man being apparently reluctant to fight for Chaos. As Golbez has cryptically muttered, Jecht had been coerced into serving Chaos through some thread of fate of his world. Sephiroth hadn't understood but Golbez didn't elaborate further. Sephiroth considered Jecht a liability, his qustionable relationship with Tidus on the Warriors of Cosmos was an unknown factor that could adversely affect Jecht's actions, as well as the complication it added to Sephiroth's plan. But aside from Tidus Jecht was quiet and hadnt caused trouble yet, so Sephiroth just kept a watch out of the corner of his eye and left it at that. Above Jecht, reclining on the wall picking at his ear, was another Warrior of Chaos Sephiroth was not fond of, this one least of all among them.

Kefka Palazzo.

The flamboyant and wisecracking mage was perhaps one of the most devoted members to Chaos' cause. The prospect of destruction and disorder had made his eyes bulge when they were first called. They had spoken only once, when Sephiroth had been speaking to Golbez about his plans for Cloud and Kefka had overheard. Kefka invited himself into the conversation and listened intently with a wide grin, at the end bursting out laughing and walking down the hall mumbling under his breath. Once Sephiroth had reached out his powers to try and get a better understanding of the working's of Kefka's mind, but the mage's thoughts were just as crazed and disorganized as he would have expected. Kefka had briefly fought with Zidane to distract him while they separated him from Bartz. Sephiroth had watched the battle through one of the scrying stones Chaos had provided, and had to grudgingly give his respect. Kefka may have been annoying with a love for bad jokes, but he was powerful when the fight was at hand. Overall though, Kefka was too unpredictable and insane to make a reliable ally, and Sephiroth had kept his distance after that one conversation. The less involvement Kefka had with his plans, even if it was just idle commentary, the better.

Noticing an uneasy silence in the chamber, Sephiroth wondered why Mateus hadn't spoke. He suspected why when he took another look around the room and realized someone was missing.

"Where is Exdeath?" Golbez asked, turning towards Mateus. Mateus drummed his fingers on the handle of his staff and murmured, his eyes dark.

"Gone, swallowed back into the Void he so claimed to have harnessed," Mateus announced. "Bartz has destroyed him."

"Bah, told ya we should have killed the kid when we had the chance!" Kefka snapped, sitting up from his place. "Oh well big loss, one less clunky suit of armor to keep me up at night."

"This is now the second of our number to fall," Mateus continued, ignoring Kefka as he giggled. "This is a loss we cannot allow to go unpunished. Two of our number fall and the Warriors of Cosmos stand as ten!"

"We can afford the loss of arrogant and weak peons. We may lack numbers, but we have other advantages," the Cloud of Darkness whispered, the fanged tentacles at her sides coming forward to look up at their mistress. "They are scattered, disoriented and lost. We are united, focused and prepared. Why not strike out now, and make use of these advantages?"

"Easier said than done, my dear," Kuja lectured, tossing her a small glare. "Those wretched little cretins house strength that we have underestimated greatly in the past. Or, is that not why we are all here?" Kuja looked around the Chaos Shrine. The genome had spoken the truth, Chaos had given them a chance to reclaim their glory and power after squandering it. It was a second chance they all needed. The god of discord would not be pleased if they failed.

"We must take action, formulate a plan lest our numbers continue to shrink," Mateus said, drawing attention back to him. "Anyone care to step forward with information? Who among the Warriors of Cosmos is their weakest?"

"The little boy is still weak and childish," the Cloud of Darkness said, resting her hands on the tips of her tentacles. "We can defeat him easily if we separate him from that girl he pretends to protect, Terra."

"Hey, forget about her, she's mine!" Kefka yelled, jumping to his feet. "I got her covered."

"What are you scheming, Kefka?" Golbez called from across the hall. "What is it about Terra that you've 'got covered'?"

"That mind of hers is all outta whack," Kefka laughed, waving a hand in the air and making a face. "I've been feeding her lies and false memories bit by bit. At this rate she won't know her hand from a rock, much less be any threat to us! She barely remembers who she really is now!" As Kefka spoke, Sephiroth focused his gaze on him. Something in the mage's words rung as eerily familiar. Had Kefka been toying with Terra's memories as he had been toying with Cloud's? The possibility struck a chord, and Sephiroth tucked Kefka's claim in the back of his mind to ponder later before stepping forward.

"I've made similar progress with Cloud," Sephiroth announced. "His memory is full of holes now, and soon he will be mine to control. At that time, his allies shall die easily."

"Excellent," Mateus nodded. "Chaos will be pleased to hear this fortuitous news."

"What makes you think he already doesn't know, Mateus?"

The emperor fell silent as the doors of the Chaos Shrine creaked open, revealing a swirling black portal at the entrance. Mateus paled slightly at the silhouette of horns and a cloak, but quickly regained his composure and scowled.

"What are you doing here?" he snapped, crossing his arms, "I told you I would be overseeing this gathering." Ignoring the question, Garland stepped out of the portal and began walking up the ramp to the head of the shrine, the portal to Chaos' realm closing behind him. The others were silent as he stopped at the top, and then spun around swiftly, swinging his sword with him. Mateus's eyes widened and he leapt back as the gigantic weapon sliced the air, narrowly missing him. Garland watched as Mateus jumped and shouldered his sword.

"Apologies. I didn't see you there," Garland boomed. Mateus sneered and stood up to his full height, crossing his arms. Sephiroth watched, suspecting Garland was smiling under his helmet. He enjoyed seeing Mateus put in his place.

Garland was, along with Golbez and the Cloud of Darkness, someone that Sephiroth had decided was worthy of his attention. The armored swordsman was a powerful foe in battle, and wielded his massive sword as easily as Sephiroth wielded his own. But more importantly, Garland was the mouth through which the Warriors of Chaos heard the words of Chaos himself. As the emissary to Chaos' realm, the Edge of Madness, Garland conveyed his orders to the rest of them, and in such was the only one among them to whom Chaos spoke directly. The latter fact was something Mateus had made known he did not approve of.

"Chaos is not pleased with the demise of Exdeath," Garland announced, looking over the room. "Nor am I. And while we are on the topic of what does not please me, your haughty commands are something else to that effect, Mateus," Garland didn't look at the monarch this time. Chaos had decreed that Garland was their leader, but Mateus hadn't taken kindly to that and tried to order about the other Warriors of Chaos in his absences. It didn't work well, not when only half of them listened in the first place.

"However, your plan intrigues him, Sephiroth," Garland turned to face him, and Sephiroth smiled. He'd not met Chaos in person, but the god had seen fit to give him a chance for vengeance on Cloud, and to claim his place as ruler of his world. For that Chaos had earned his loyalty, for the time being at least. Sephiroth knew better than to cross a god, and to hear he had perhaps earned Chaos's favor was pleasing.

"Does it, now?" Sephiroth asked.

"Indeed. Effective and nefarious. You are hereby given free reign to continue your manipulations and take control of Cloud as soon as possible. Once done, you are to use him to dispatch Firion, Tidus and Cecil."

"Cecil?" Golbez asked, stepping forward. Sephiroth looked down as Jecht lifted his head to give Garland a blank stare.

"If either of you wish to engage your relatives, then Chaos gives you permission But should Cloud get to them first, you may consider your chances lost. Chaos waits for the desires of no man," Garland said. Jecht snorted.

"Meh, big loss. It's not like the crybaby could take me anyway," he mumbled, looking away. Golbez stepped back, not pleased but willing to obey.

"And you, Kefka," Garland continued. Kefka grinned and looked up at him, leaning his chin on his hand. "The girl Terra is not to be taken lightly. Chaos will be especially pleased if you can sway her to our cause, but if not, you'd best be careful."

"Don't insult me, I ain't worried!" Kefka snarled, rolling his eyes. "I've taken her on before, how hard could it be to take her again?"

"Her power is great, and with her lack of control unstable and wild. You already risk much pressing her control to its limits. If you were to perish and she reclaim her Crystal to focus her powers, you know how much stronger she could become," Mateus said, stepping closer to Garland.

"Yeah yeah, I told ya, I got it covered!" Kefka laughed. "That little wildcat inside her is easy enough to handle, so long as you keep her burned out. I sent a bunch of Crystelles after her now, they'll keep her busy!"

"Kefka, this is the second time you've done such, did we not explain to you? Our supply of Crystelle is not infinite, it takes work to manifest them!" Mateus lectured.

"Yeah, but we have a lot more Crystelle than Cosmos has warriors!" Kefka reminded.

* * *

Onion Knight snored loudly and turned over, mumbling. Sitting across from him, legs drawn up to her chest with her hands on her knees, Terra smiled and looked up at the sky. On the horizon in the distance, ribbons of light weaved in and out of the clouds, signaling dawn's coming. Terra climbed to her feet and looked out over the forest below them. The two of them had decided to use the mountain as their resting spot for that night, the idea being they would spot any attacking Crystelle before they arrived. Onion Knight had offered to take the first watch, but Terra knew better and waited, feigning sleep until he nodded off.

The two of them had found each other quite by chance, when Onion Knight was searching for his world's Crystal in an abandoned castle Terra knew as Doma. Surprised to find another warrior, Terra had suggested they travel together for safety. She had quickly come to cherish his company. Onion Knight was a spirited and trustworthy ally, and Terra was happy to have someone like him with her. He reminded her of home, of her children in Mobliz. He was much older of course, and obviously a warrior, but he was still so childish sometimes. It was endearing, to her at least. Not for the first time Terra was saddened at the thought of her lost extended family.

_"I've lost so much," _Terra thought, closing her eyes. _"Remember…you're here to reclaim the Crystal and restore your world. Locke, Celes, Edgar, Sabin, everyone…they're counting on me to find the Crystal and put things right again. I can't let them down!__" _

A sound broke Terra out of her thoughts, and she opened her eyes. She knelt down and looked at a few broken shards of rock littering the ground. They were shaking. The young woman rose and turned to the bridge and the cave leading deeper into the mountain. The rope bridge lead to a small cavern lit by a hold of ceiling that allowed the morning light in. Terra looked out the other exist from the cavern, and gasped.

The path spiraled down to another cave, and along the path downwards, were Crystelle. There had to be two dozen, or more, marching in perfect unison. Terra stepped back, and tried to hide within the cavern doorway. One of the Crystelles looked up, and roared, pointing its sword at her. The others spotted her, and their synchronization was broken as they began charging up the mountain path. Terra looked back over the bridge and sprinted across it, looking over her shoulder as the Crystelles emerged through the cavern. Terra stopped on the other side and turned, holding out her hand. A single Crystelle began to cross the bridge as Terra flung out a large fireball. The wood and rope exploded and fell into the gorge below, the Crystelle shattering on the rocks in a shower of light red crystal. The remaining Crystelles roared angrily on the other side of the gorge. Terra watched them, panting slightly. Behind her, Onion Knight slowly opened his eyes and yawned.

"I miss something?" he asked sleepily, looking up at Terra.

"Crystelles," Terra informed. Onion Knight cried out and jumped to his feet, drawing his sword. "It's okay, they're trapped," Terra said, nodding across to the army opposite them. "But I think we're going to have to turn back now," she turned back to Onion Knight and forced a smile.

"What's that one doing?" Onion Knight asked, pointing. Terra turned as one of the Crystelles on the edge of the gorge kneeled down and lowered its head. As the two watched, a second Crystelle charged forward, ran up the first's back and leapt up.

"Run!" Terra screamed, spinning around. Onion Knight cried out and ducked as the Crystelle lifted a massive sword over its head. Terra cried and grabbed Onion Knight, pulling him out of the way as the sword slammed into the dirt. On the other side of the mountain, the other Crystelles roared their triumph as more began to follow the example set by the first.

"Go, get out of here!" Terra ordered, standing up.

"No way, there's way too many for you to beat alone!" Onion Knight protested.

"I said go!" Terra cried, pushing him backwards into another cavern. Onion Knight stumbled back, and Terra pressed a hand onto the rock.

"No, Terra!" Onion Knight climbed to his feet as a sheet of ice formed over the cavern entrance. Terra looked back as the first Crystelle heaved its sword up, and a second and third landed behind it from their jumps.

"I can't focus on protecting you," she muttered, drawing her sword. She had to concentrate on the fight now. There was a tingle of energy in her free hand, and Terra looked down at it to see a red aura over her lower arm. She tamped down her rising powers and turned back to the enemies.

A Crystelle ran at her, and Terra dodged its clumsly jab, bringing her sword on its head in a two-handed slash. It collapsed to the ground, and Terra sent a fireball into its chest to blow it off the mountain. With a cr, it fell down into the valley below, hitting the rock bellos and smashing apart. Back above, Terra jumped to avoid another Crystelle charging at her, and landed on a small ledge. She jumped again as the Crystelle slammed a fist into the ledge, the rock exploding. Terra flung out her hand and sent a barrage of glowing white orbs at the construct. It took the Holy attack with a grunt and fell back to the ground with a groan. Terra landed and cried out as a Crystelle slammed into her from behind, her sword falling from her grasp to clang on the ground. She rolled to her feet and lifted her hands, firing a blast of ice. The Crystelle froze solid, then shattered into more crystal shards.

Terra ran and grabbed her sword, turning to parry an attack and firing another Blizzard attack at the swordsman. As the Crystelle stumbled back, Terra looked down at her hand and gasped as the red aura returned, pink electricity crackling along her fingers.

"No, not now!" she hissed in horror. She turned her attention back to the fight as two Crystelles leapt towards her. Terra drew her hand back as the wind rushed over her skin. With a cry, a whirlwind spun up from the ground, flinging the two Crystelles off the mountain. Terra jumped forward and flung a fireball at two more Crystelle. As she cast the two spells the red aura intensified, her other arm lighting up in the same glow.

_"I can't keep this up," _she thought, her heart pounding in her chest. She landed and lifted her hands to conjure a large fireball. With a cry, she let loose her focus and launched it. As she did so, a few feet away a Crystelle raised its sword and swung at the fireball.

The projectile exploded, and Terra screamed, the force flinging her backwards. She reached out and grabbed at a tree protruding from the mountain, crying out as the bark stung her hands. Beside her, more Crystelles fell to the rocks below. One by one they shattered as they hit the mountainside. Terra looked up to see more of the glittering constructs staring down at her. One of them lifted a hand and fired some sort of energy blast. It slammed into Terra, and she lost her grip. The wind rushed past Terra's ears as she plummeted downwards, looking up. As she fell, she lifted a hand to look at the aura. With an anguished grunt she closed her eyes.

_"Well…doesn't matter now," _she thought sadly. _"You can come out." _With the mental reminder the ground was rushing towards her, Terra reached deep, deep inside her and found the small bundle of energy she tried so hard to keep contained…

And relinquished her control of it.

With an animalistic screech Terra's head snapped back, her eyes glowing red. The aura flared up and consumed her. Fur exploded from her skin and clothing, and her nails grew longer and pointed. The red glow on her eyes subsided, and Terra calmly pulled herself into a standing position in the air, slowing her decent. With a snarl, she looked up flung her hands to her sides, flying back up the mountain. The Crystelles stepped back as Terra rushed up the mountainside, her body surrounded by an aura of pure, magical power. Her hair, lengthened and turned purple-pink by the transformation, streamed down her back and to her legs as she flew. Finally, she flew over the Crystelles and whipped a hand back. Terra snarled and flung her arm forward, a wave of white energy slicing through the air from her claws. The Crystelles were cleaved in two, and the surviving ones turned and fled.

Terra landed with a growl, and dashed after them. She leapt on the back of the first Crystelle, digging her claws into its head and flipping forward to throw it over the mountainside. The other Crystelles stopped as they reached the edge of the mountain, the bridge Terra had burned earlier fluttering its planks on the cliff face below. Terra drew her arms over her chest and flung out her arms again. A barrage of crescent-shaped energy waves tore the last few Crystelle apart and sent them hurtling over the mountain. Terra reared back her head and shrieked as she realized no more Crystelles were left standing. A noise caught her attention, and Terra turned her head at the cavern entrance covered in ice. With a snort, she lifted her hand and fired a blast of flame. The ice melted instantly, and Onion Knight climbed out.

"Terra, you!" he stopped as he saw Terra floating over him, her blue eyes glowing yellow. "You…transformed again," Onion Knight whispered, falling to his knees. Terra tossed her head back and let out a snarl, and closed her eyes. Onion Knight shielded his eyes at the flash of light that emanated from Terra. When it faded, he lowered his hand to see Terra descend to the ground. "Terra!" Terra swooned forward, and Onion Knight caught her.

"I'm sorry…" Terra whispered weakly, her eyes drifting shut. "The…only way…"

"It's okay Terra, it's over. You beat them," Onion Knight coaxed. Terra let out a breath and went limp, and Onion Knight knelt to set her unconscious form on the ground. A glare of light shone in the corner of his eyes, and he squinted as he looked up into the morning sunrise.

"Well, this is a great way to start the morning," he grumbled, sitting down beside Terra.

**Crystelles are my term for the generic enemies fought in Dissidia, its the term I pinned on them prior to the English release dubbing them "Manikins" and I've chosen to stick with it.  
**

**Mateus is the first name of the Emperor in the Japanese novelization of Final Fantasy II, and I decided to use it instead of just referring to him by his title.**


	2. Light Within Darkness

Shards of Memory

Chapter 2

Light Within Darkness

"_**Every person has the choice between Good and Evil. Choose Good, and stand against those who would choose Evil."**_ - Friedrich Kellner

* * *

The Buster Sword imbedded itself in the carpet, and the Crystelle roared as it shattered, the small glittering fragments sprinkling on the floor. Cloud grunted and lifted the weapon from the floor, returning it to the holster strapped on his back. With another glance around the small house, Cloud looked for anywhere else he had yet to search.

Cloud didn't know this place, but Cecil had said he recognized it at a village called "Kaipo". According to Cecil, back before the cataclysm Kaipo was a desert oasis, a village in the middle of a large desert sustained by a small lake fed by underground springs. This Kaipo that the group was exploring lay on the edges of a large forest in the middle of a lush field. Cecil had been surprised, Cloud wasn't. Such oddities of geography were common these days, a reminder of the devastation the cataclysm had wrought.

It had been sudden, brief, and destructive. The world as Cloud knew it ripped asunder. He recalled he had been knocked unconscious by a falling beam, defending Tifa, Barret and the kids from the strange, transparent creatures he now knew as Crystelle. With the city of Edge coming down around them in the middle of an earthquake, and Crystelles emerging from the ground itself and cutting down the fleeing citizens, Cloud had remained behind to make sure his comrades got to safety.

When Cloud had regained consciousness, it was in a realm he'd never seen before. He had woken up in a large medieval castle, the turrets rising high above a large, sprawling city below. A voice had whispered the word "Alexandria" to him, and Cloud had turned to see the goddess of harmony for the first time.

* * *

_"What are you?" Cloud asked, stepping back from the glowing, beautiful woman hovering before him. He reached back and wrapped his fingers around the hilt of his weapon, and felt air. Cloud tilted his head to see his back bare, and cursed as he realized he must have lost his sword while he was out._

_"I am the goddess of harmony, the beacon of light to countless worlds, including yours," the woman whispered, bowing her head. "I am she who is called Cosmos."_

_"Cosmos…where am I, where are my friends?" Cloud said, confused.  
_

_"You are in the castle of the kingdom of Alexandria. Y__our friends, I am sorry to say, are gone," Cosmos said. Cloud's eyes went wide, and he fell to his knees in horror. "Do not despair, they are not dead, merely…it is difficult to explain," Cosmos said. "Cloud, in every world there is a light. It is from this light that all life spawns. And this light comes from a single, radiant source. The Crystal."_

_"Crystal?" Cloud asked, pushing himself up._

_"A beacon of life to worlds, the Crystals allow those world to exist," Cosmos continued. "It is the Crystal of your world that allows life to continue, and it is to the Crystal of your world your friends have gone. Their light has returned to the Crystal, as have so many other lights. Your world is not the only to suffer such tragedy."_

_"Other worlds?"_

_"Dozens, hundreds, yes. Each with their own Crystal. And each now in dire peril…" Cloud lowered his head and thought for a moment, connecting the dots in his mind._

_"If these Crystals allow our worlds to exist…what has happened to them?" he asked, looking back up at Cosmos. Cosmos closed her eyes, her expression dark._

_"They have been taken, their light infected by those of the darkness…the servants of Chaos." Cloud suddenly got an inexplicable chill as Cosmos continued. "Chaos is the god of discord, who exists only to undo the fabric of reality. In Chaos' eyes, the Crystals are to be destroyed, their light extinguished, and all worlds plunged into darkness. It is the servants of Chaos who have seized the Crystals, and begun the beginning of the end. With the Crystals in danger, they had no choice but to collect their light again, to try and sustain their existence from the darkness. With the fate of light endangered, this is the result." Cosmos lifted an arm and pointed. Cloud followed her finger to the houses below. Now that he looked closer, he noticed something – a complete and total lack of people. The massive castle and city, that could have rivaled Midgar for size, were totally abandoned._

_"A world without life, a world cruelly forced upon another. All beings are born as light, that light from the Crystals. If the Crystals are gone, so too will the light follow them into oblivion. With Chaos' forces running amok, the borders between worlds are shattered, they mesh together and combine in ways not meant to be. And this is only the beginning. If the Crystals are not liberated soon, if they remain in the hands of evil, then their light will die. And the worlds will cease to exist, and all light will be extinguished."  
_

_"So why am I still here?" Cloud asked, turning from the city below. "If the Crystals have been forced to recall their light, to…" Cloud wasn't sure what to call it. Cosmos had said his friends weren't dead, but merely their light reclaimed. Did that mean they could be saved, or not? "If the Crystals have taken my friends for their light, why was I spared?" Cosmos smiled and descended to the floor of the castle turret, lifting a hand. With a gesture of her finger, a light enveloped Cloud, and he cried out at the warmth._

_"You are one of so very few, Cloud. You are a defender of harmony, a protector of good. A Warrior of Light. One of so few, too few. You are one who can save the Crystals from the servants of Chaos, and restore the light to your world."_

_"One of few? There are others?" Cloud asked, the light around him fading._

_"Nine others," Cosmos nodded. "If the ten of you band together, and fight against Chaos' warriors, there is hope. If the Crystals are saved and their light returned, this damage can be undone. Your world can be restored, and your friends have their life returned. As long as the Crystals can be liberated from the hands of the Warriors of Chaos, the worlds can be saved."_

_"Warriors of Chaos…" Cloud muttered. "Who are they?"_

_"Chaos reached out to the worlds and ensnared ten servants. Some went willingly, some, their hands were forced into servitude. The man who seized the Crystal of your world is a willing ally," Cosmos hesitated for a moment. Cloud had an idea then, but waited for the goddess to continue. "Chaos reached beyond the realm of death, and gave life back to this man. He is a cruel, wicked being, who would wish nothing more than to see you suffer, and to claim dominion over your world and all that exists within it."_

_"Sephiroth…" Cloud nodded, narrowing his eyes. Somehow the revelation that Sephiroth could have some hand in this wasn't surprising. It was so much to take in at once, Crystals, Chaos, light, other worlds. And yet the knowledge that Sephiroth had taken the Crystal of his world, had done this, was appropriate. Cloud focused on that, it gave him something familiar to think of. From there, the rest began to fall into place. "I should have figured."_

_"He is but one of ten, as are you," Cosmos said. "The light of the Crystal can only be restored by one from its world. Cloud, in order for you to save your Crystal and your world__…_"

_"I know," The soldier clenched his fist, suddenly feeling enraged and eager to begin his journey. "I have to kill him, again."_

* * *

Cosmos had then manifested the Buster Sword, the weapon used by two generations of SOLDIER before him, entrusted to him with dreams of heroism and idealism. In Cloud's mind he didn't deserved to carry that responsibility, he had abandoned it for a reason. It was Zack's sword, not his, he had no right to use it given his failure to live up to Zack's legacy. But after a second thought, Cloud realized given his current mission from Cosmos, perhaps the weapon was appropriate. In the end he had reached out and taken it, looking over the blade as both a familiar friend and a familiar burden.

Cosmos said there were nine others who survived the cataclysm, the chaotic shuffling and merging of the worlds. She had spoken to Cloud and his allies on a handful of other occasions. The goddess had to remain within the confines of Order's Sanctuary to remain safe within the barrier of light around it, speaking to them only in visions. The darkness of the Warriors of Chaos was powerful, as Cosmos told it the darkness seeped deeper and deeper into the Crystals with each passing day. And as the light faded the worlds came closer and closer together. Their borders dissolved, geography and physics fell into disarray. Hence the once-desert oasis Kaipo being on the edge of a deep forest.

Cloud had met Cecil and Firion while exploring a volcano for any sign of the Crystals. The three banded together for protection, and to share information. Cosmos sadly had her sight blocked by the chaotic rending of the worlds, so she could not provide them information on where to seek out the Warriors of Chaos, or the other Warriors of Cosmos. So, as Firion had put it, they had to "find them the old-fashioned way: look".

The two of them were welcome companions. Cecil was a bit of an enigma to Cloud. The knight straddled a dangerous border between the light and the dark, and Cloud had seen his silver and white armor flash and turn dark blue and black in the heat of battle as Cecil channeled his dark powers. Cecil had taken the time to explain to Cloud that he had once been a servant to the dark sword in his world, but had worked to cleanse his heart of darkness by becoming a Paladin. Cecil's soul had been cleansed of evil, and many years later he reclaimed his potential to control darkness during a battle with a foe whose nature he hadn't entirely explained. Cecil had asked Cosmos to allow him to exert this potential to its fullest and give him back his original dark powers. Cosmos had agreed. Cloud wasn't sure why, but he had a suspicion where the answer lay.

Cecil harbored insecurities and questions regarding a rather delicate issue; his elder brother, a black-armored mage called Golbez, a Warriors of Chaos. Cecil had only spoken of him sparingly. Golbez walked the path of darkness that Cecil had turned from, and wielded powerful black magic. However, Cecil said that much like himself, Golbez's shadowed heart was not beyond redemption. He had once been manipulated by a powerful sorcerer named Zemus, and when Golbez had been freed he used his dark powers to combat Zemus's evil, and though he failed Cecil saw the true character his brother had that day. Years later Golbez had returned to help Cecil fight a greater threat, and perished protecting his brother from a foe that Cecil refused to discuss. The fact that Cecil emphasized was that his brother still wielded dark powers, but used them in the name of light. Why he now sided with Chaos to destroy their mutual homeland was a mystery to Cecil. Cloud had a feeling it was a bit more complex than that but didn't push Cecil to explain the situation further, it was Cecil's matter to resolve just as his feud was with Sephiroth was. Cloud thought that perhaps Cecil's decision to take up the dark power again was influenced by the knowledge Golbez had also stepped back on the path of wickedness, but didn't ask him directly.

Firion was a little less complex. Honorable, determined and spirited, he reminded Cloud of Zack, back when Zack was in SOLDIER and had been idealistic and innocent. Firion's world had suffered greatl from the sieges from Emperor Mateus, ruler of Palamecia who desired to subject all to his autocratic rule. Firion and his allies had fought for a world free of Palamecian oppression, but more than that Firion hoped for a world where the people could be free from not just from Mateus but anyone who aspired for goals like his. Cloud could appreciate a dream for a free world, even if it was a bit of a pipe dream. Firion was more talkative and open than Cecil, and he and Cloud had bonded quickly. That, as well as Firion's lack of personal conflicts and trials, that, were the reasons Cloud was comfortable confiding in Firion about his dreams and amnesia. He decided his other two companions had enough to think about without his problems adding to them.

Tidus had been found not too long after Cloud had joined with Cecil and Firion. Cloud considered Firion spirited, but Tidus had far more energy and was much more talkative than any of them. He occasionally got on Cloud's nerves, but he was a powerful and athletic fighter. Tidus had proven himself in battle countless times, and he had explained that he had every reason to be devoted to Cosmos' cause. He cared about saving the Crystals of course, but the youth's conflict with Chaos ran deeper than that. Just as Cecil's brother fought among the troops of discord, Tidus' father Jecht was among them too. But the counting of a blood relative among the ranks of the enemy was where the similarities ended. Tidus had nothing but hate and spite for his father, or so he claimed. Cloud was concerned that Tidus was overly reassuring, but the way he described the man, he could see why Tidus hated him. According to Tidus, Jecht was rude, surly and arrogant, and on top of a bad personality he drank heavily and was a neglectful and verbally abusive father. Tidus' first words when Cloud asked about his father were "he's an bitter, washed-up old drunk". His subsequent comments on Jecht had been similarly worded.

Cloud suspected the insults were a cover, surely there was more to their relationship that hatred, but Tidus hadn't said much to give credence to his doubt. Cloud had asked why Jecht had abandoned him and his mother, but Tidus had just said it was for "a really stupid reason". He hadn't elaborated, and Cloud didn't press him any more than he did Cecil. Whatever his father did or didn't do, or whatever he was really like, Tidus would come to terms with that on his own. It wasn't Cloud's place to stick his nose in.

Together, the four of them had searched for the location of the Warriors of Cosmos during the day and camped out during the night. Now and then one of them shared a story of some sort of adventure from their world. Cloud added his own concerning Sephiroth's attack on Nibelheim and his and Zack's escape from Hojo's lab. One thing he had quickly learned was that the Crystals had chosen their protectors wisely. In their own ways all four of them had fought hard to defend their worlds from evil and destruction. Cloud could boast being to space, but he couldn't boast about raising an ancient airship from the ocean to travel to the moon, or travelling into the pits of hell to destroy a resurrected monarch. He supposed it was relative, and that his tales were as foreign and amazing to his companions as theirs were to his. The tales they told of their worlds, which were quite clearly very different from Cloud's, were fascinating.

_"We've all suffered and sacrificed so much already," _Cloud thought, moving into the back of the house. Against one wall was a bookcase, a bed against the other wall. A stove, table, chairs and fireplace lay at the front of the house at the end of a short hallway. It was a small, cozy home. _"How much more are we going to have to fight to end this? How many of us have lost more already?"_ Cosmos had last contacted them what Cloud guessed was a week ago. She had said then the other six warriors were alive, and progressing in their own travels. But a lot could happen in a week. Cloud knew they were fighting impossible odds. A seemingly infinite army of Crystelles. Their old archrivals, revived at full strength and malice. The will of the god of discord. And as far as Cloud knew the other six warriors were fighting alone out there somewhere across the world. The only advantage they seemed to have was that they all had experience dealing with such overwhelming odds.

Cloud turned and left the house, leaving the door open behind him. The entire world was a ghost town, since arriving in Alexandria Cloud had explored several caves, many, many towns and castles, and several ancient temples. The only other people he'd seen were his comrades. It seemed that there was nothing left in the world save for the warriors of the gods. Cloud had heard from Cecil and Firion that monsters still roamed about, but they were quite rare, and since meeting Cloud they hadn't found any more. As Cosmos had explained it, monsters tended to be born out of darkness than the light, so they still existed, though the chaotic shuffling of the worlds during the cataclysm had greatly reduced their numbers. They were minor nuisances, it was the Crystelles that posed the real problem.

"You guys find anything?" Cloud called, walking across a bridge over a small trench leading water through the village. The waterways connected to a lake. A lake that suddenly ended half-way across, as if a line had been drawn, and beyond that line was a lush forest. Cloud had become use to such bizarre sights in this world. On the other side of the bridge, Firion shook his head as Tidus reclined against the wall of a building behind him.

"Nothing but Crystelles," Firion muttered. "They're everywhere it seems. Wherever we go, like an infestation."

"I'd say that's an apt usage of the phrase," Cloud nodded. "Where's Cecil?"

"He was here a couple minutes ago," Tidus shrugged, rubbing his shoulder. "He went inside." Cloud looked up at the building to see a sign identifying it as an inn.

"What for?"

"Dunno."

Cloud lowered his head from the sign and walked towards the door of the inn. He pushed it open and stepped inside. Directly opposite the door was an empty counter, an open ledger with a quill and inkbottle on it. To the right was a small hall that led to another counter. Cloud looked around and turned to the left. Several rows of beds lined the hallway down the left corridor. Between the beds, Cecil stood silently, his head bowed.

"Cecil? You okay?" Cloud called, walking up to him.

"This place…Kaipo…" the paladin whispered, not turning around as Cloud stopped behind him. "This is the first place I came after my assignment to Mist."

"Mist? What happened?" Cloud asked. Cecil hadn't mentioned this before.

"His Majesty stripped me of my rank and ordered me to deliver a ring to the village. When my friend Kain and I arrived, the ring summoned monsters to destroy the village and massacre its people. In that moment, my world shattered as I realized the man I had come to think of as my father betrayed my trust. With everything taken from me, I threw away whatever chance I might have had to get it back to try and do the right thing after being misled to wickedness. A girl here, Rydia, summoned a monster in her rage that caused an earthquake. When the dust settled, Rydia was unconscious, I thought Kain was dead, and I was unable to return to Baron." Cecil closed his eyes, sucking in a deep breath.

"I had lost everything I cared for, for a crusade against the most powerful kingdom on the planet. It was the right thing to do, but at that time it seemed so pointless. Then, when I came to Kaipo, Rosa, the woman I loved, dad caught a desert fever while out searching for me and was being cared for here. I vowed I wouldn't let her die. I had lost everything else important to me, my rank, my home, my best friend, and my self-respect. I would not lose her too. I wouldn't become completely alone."

Cloud was silent as Cecil finished his story. Cecil wasn't one to talk about himself excessively, so when he did talk about himself, Cloud had learned it was usually important. This time seemed to be no different. He knew Cecil had forsaken his king to lead a rebellion against his increasingly tyrannical methods, but he hadn't known the full extent of Cecil's situation when he had done so.

"I lost everything to lead an rebellion in the name of hope against impossible odds," Cecil lifted his head, his gleaming white hair falling in waves over the collar of his armor. "Coming back here now, after all that has happened…it's a discomforting sense of déjà vu."

"I could guess," Cloud agreed. "But it's not exactly the same thing time around."

"Eh?" Cecil turned as Cloud crossed his arms.

"You said that when you rebelled before, you were alone. This time, you have us. It's not just your fight this time. It's all of ours."

"I know," Cecil nodded. "Thank you, Cloud. But I'm sure you know, when the time comes, it will still be me and me alone who stands against him."

"I wouldn't help you even if you decided to let me," Cloud nodded back. Any confrontation with Golbez was Cecil's to have. "Come on, we have to keep going."

"Yes," Cecil agreed, following Cloud out of the inn. As the two emerged, Tidus and Firion were waiting for them.

"We ready to head out?" Firion asked.

"Yes," Cecil repeated. "We came from the south, correct?"

"That sounds right," Tidus nodded, lifting a hand towards the sun. It was late, but it still wouldn't be night for some time. At least, Cloud hoped so. Time, along with the rest of the laws of nature, had gone erratic after the cataclysm. Sometimes the day lasted for many more hours than it ought to, sometimes barely a few hours. The nights followed the same pattern. For this reason, Cloud had quickly lost track of time after setting out on his journey. All he knew is that any amount of time was too long, when the world was so vast and the stakes in this war were so great.

"So do we keep going north, or alter course?" Firion asked, gesturing over the lake. "To the north is the forest."

"It look familiar to any of you? Maybe we can figure out which world it's from, get a bearing on what's inside it and the like," Tidus suggested.

"It's a forest, Tidus, they aren't very distinctive," Cecil said gently. "I think north is the best course, the forest will provide us shelter for the night and hopefully there'll be a few animals there for food."

"I agree," Cloud said.

"Then north it is," Firion said, walking towards the edge of the lake behind the inn. He looked over the forest that suddenly sprouted from the water. "Any ideas on how to cross?"

"It doesn't look that deep, maybe we could swim," Tidus suggested, coming up from behind him.

"Not all of us are wearing shorts and a shirt," Cecil reminded, gesturing to his armor. Tidus rubbed the back of his neck and gave a small chuckle.

"Oh yeah, right," he muttered.

"I've got an idea. Cloud, find some rope," Firion said, reaching to his back. Cloud and Cecil watched as he felt for the weapon handle he was looking for. At first Cloud wasn't sure why Firion insisted on carrying around so many weapons, but as Firion explained it, every weapon was like a friend to him. They reminded him why he was fighting, so he said. Firion found the handle of his bow, unhooked it from the holder, and drew an arrow from the sheath. Cloud looked around and spied a coil of rope lying underneath a window hanging. He ran over to pick it up as Firion notched the arrow, a magical aura surrounding the projectile.

With a small grunt, Firion let the arrow fly. It flew across the water and slammed into the base of a tree, blowing away half the truck in a blast of light. With a creak, the tree leaned, and eventually collapsed, falling into the water. Cloud came forward and handed Firion the coil of rope.

"Looks long enough," Firion nodded, reaching back and putting his bow away. He grabbed his axe now, and tied the rope to the end of the handle. "Stand back," he warned. The three stepped back as the rebel began twirling the axe around, holding his arm to the side. With a cry, he flung it forward. The coil of rope on the ground unfurled as the axe landed in the branches of the fallen tree. "Alright, together," Firion directed, picking up the end of the rope. Cloud, Cecil and Tidus grabbed the slack behind him, and the four pulled. The axe caught the branches of the tree, and slowly, getting faster as it gained momentum, the tree began floating towards them. The branches bumped the stone shore, and Firion looked over it.

"Well," he huffed, dusting off his hands. "It's not exactly the _Dreadnaught_, but it floats." Firion grabbed his axe from the branches and set to work hacking off several larger ones.

"Talk about ingenuity, nice work," Tidus complimented.

"Thanks," Firion grunted, bringing the axe back.

* * *

Approximately an hour after they first decided to move on, the four warriors climbed on top of the tree.

"Watch your balance," Firion advised, sitting in the front. "There's still about half the truck remaining on the end here, so that will keep the body weighed and stop the tree from spinning, but you can still slide off."

"We'll be fine," Tidus called from the back. Cloud sat directly behind Firion, with Cecil between him and Tidus. Each of them had one of the larger branches Firion had hacked off as an oar. Cloud looked at the forest opposite them and judged the distance. It wasn't too far, fortunately, but the trip would probably still be tiring. Dipping his branch into the water, he started paddling.

In the end it was a fairly short trip, given the preparation time. The rowing was a little tricky, but the four soon settled into a steady rhythm that kept the makeshift boat moving straight and quick. The edge of the tree bumped the edge of the forest floor, a few clumps of dirt falling off. Cloud leaned over slightly and looked down into the water. As far as he could tell, the lake went deep, and where it ended and the forest began, extending deep into the water was a simple wall of rock and earth. Impossible in normal nature, to be sure. But not impossible in the twisted merging of worlds this place was. The four climbed off the tree, and Cecil looked at the horizon. It was almost sunset. Tidus had already taken a few steps into the forest, Firion's eyes scanning the ground and finally picking out his arrow. He picked it up, frowned at the broken tip, and tossed it in the water.

"Come on, let's find a place to make camp," Cecil said, leading the way into the forest. Cloud followed him as Firion and Tidus brought up the rear, weapons at the ready. The forest stretching before them was dark, incredibly dark, and as they went deeper the trees began to become thin and dark, their leaves almost black in the dim lighting. Cloud looked around the forest, feeling increasingly uneasy. It almost felt like someone was watching him.

"Hey!" Tidus suddenly ran off to the left, and Cloud turned to see where he was going. The three followed to find Tidus knelt down by a small water spring. "We have to camp out near water, right?" Tidus said.

"Is it safe to drink?" Cloud asked. Tidus reached out and dipped a finger in the spring, then stuck it in his mouth. He smacked his lips for a moment and thought.

"Well, it ain't killing me yet," he shrugged. Cloud looked up from him, and narrowed his eyes.

"Look," he said, raising a hand to point across the spring. Cloud's companions followed his finger to a large, dark object looming among the trees.

"What is that?" Firion asked. Cloud peered a bit closer, and wasn't sure to be relieved over seeing a familiar object, or confused as to its presence.

"It's a train," he supplied.

"Train?" Cecil asked.

"We have them on my world, but I don't recognize it from mine, so it must be from another world," Cloud explained. "They're a mode of transportation, they run on tracks and use engines to pull cars full of cargo and people."

"Want to check it out?" Cecil asked. "It's near a spring, and if we're lucky and there's no Crystelles on board, there's our shelter for the night."

"Worth a try," Tidus said, beginning to walk towards the iron object. The other three followed him. As they neared, more details of the train came into sight. It looked rusted and old, with many holes in the roof and spokes on the wheels missing. The railings on the ends of the cars were falling off in places, and many windows were broken or missing. The track underneath the wheels was similarly rusted, and covered in plants and vines. It looked like the train hadn't been used in decades and been left to the elements.

"Are trains always in such lousy shape?" Tidus asked when they stopped beside the train. Cloud ignored him and climbed up the steps to the end of the nearest car.

"Come on, let's look around," he said, pushing open the door to the car. Firion climbed on after him, and Cecil and Tidus soon followed. The inside of the train car wasn't in much better shape than the outside. The cushions on the seats were caked in dust, the red material ripped and stained. The wood of the seats had been broken, chipped and on some seats was simply gone. The carpet underneath was stained and torn, and in some places looked like it had been burned. Cloud cautiously took a few steps forward. The feeling of being watched was stronger now.

"Anyone else feel that?" Firion asked, ducking inside the car behind Cecil.

"The really creepy feeling that someone is watching us?" Tidus replied behind Cloud, looking down at an old newspaper lying on a seat. The paper had yellowed and rotted to the point the text was almost unreadable. On the floor in front of the seat was something that might have been a teddy bear, but was so stained and rotten it was more a lump of white stuffing and black and brown fur.

"I meant the feeling we shouldn't be here," Firion clarified, "but yes, now that you mention it, it feels like I'm being watched too."

"This place doesn't feel right, not at all," Cecil agreed. "We should leave, now."

"Yeah, let's go," Cloud nodded, turning. Tidus turned, and screamed, jumping back. He jumped back into Cecil, knocking him forward. Firion jumped to the side as the two hit the carpeted floor. Cloud lifted a hand to the handle of the Buster Sword emerging from behind his shoulder.

In the doorway of the car before them was a man. The man had a hunched back and held his head low. He wore a long, dark blue coat with golden buttons and linings, and red cuffs on the long sleeves. His pants were long, perfectly straight dark blue trousers that hung to a pair of dark black boosts. A hat with a wide black brim and golden linings sat on his head. His thin, bony hands were currently clasped in front of his stomach. His entire uniform, like the train itself, was torn and dusty, but to a lesser degree.

"Good evening, gentlemen," the man said, lifting his head. Cloud and Firion recoiled slightly as Tidus and Cecil climbed to their feet. The man had pale skin and very light blue eyes, sunken in slightly. His nose was small, and he had thin, pale lips. "How may I be of service to you?"

"Who are you?" Firion demanded. The man reached into a pocket on his coat and withdrew a gold pocket watch, pressing a button to flip open the covering and looking down. Cloud caught a glimpse of it. The glass covering the timepiece was cracked, but the watch was functioning otherwise.

"I am Mortimer, the conductor of the Phantom Train, sir. You may refer to me as 'Morty', if you wish," the man said in a soft, low voice. "And you would be right on time for our evening departure, if you gentlemen wish to use our services."

"Where does this train go?" Cloud asked, not sure what to make of the situation. With the state of the vehicle, it was difficult to believe the train could travel at all, much less keep a schedule like Morty had implied.

"The Phantom Train carries the souls of the departed to the other side, the realm of the dead, sir," Morty explained, clicking his watch shut and slipping it back into his pocket. "We normally do not ferry the living, but we would make an exception for you. We don't mind the occasional breach of code."

"Uh, no thanks, we'll stay here," Tidus said nervously. Morty nodded slowly.

"As you wish, sir. How disappointing," he replied. "Business for us has been so slow as of late. There are no people to die, no souls to ferry beyond. The only deaths these days are animals and monsters, and we do not service them. Those Warriors of Chaos inconvenience even those already dead."

"Well, we'll be staying here because we plan to stop them," Cloud said. "We're trying to save the Crystals and restore the worlds." Morty smiled, wrinkles appearing on his face.

"Then I wish you luck, gentlemen, it would be a joy to resume our normal duties. If there is anything I can do to assist you, please say, and I will do what I can."

"Well, assuming there are no Crystelle aboard the train, we were hoping to stay the night here once we hunted for a meal in the forest," Firion explained.

"Allow me to share my insight as to those plans then, sir. As conductor, I see all within the Phantom Forest, so I promise you there are no Crystelle nearby."

_"So we really were being watched,_" Cloud thought.

"As for a meal, I am afraid there are currently no animals in the forest, at least none you would wish to eat. However, we do keep a well-stocked dining car two cars ahead. I am sure our attendants could provide you with a meal if you visited them."

"Food? It's not poisoned or something, is it?" Cloud asked.

"Almost all our passengers aboard the train are dead, sir," Morty said. "What point would there be in that?" Cloud nodded slightly. He had a point. "As for staying the night, feel free. However, I request you be gone by the morning, we have to depart to the other side and we do have a schedule to keep to."

"Sure, no problem," Firion replied. "Thanks."

"I exist only to serve, gentlemen," Morty said, bowing. "It is a pleasure to have been of use."

"Hey, one question," Tidus asked. "Why are you here? I thought the Crystals collected the light of the others during the cataclysm?"

"True," Morty nodded, clasping his hands behind his back. "I am here, because light only lives in the living." Tidus' eyes went wide as Morty stepped up to him, and walked right through him. Cecil stepped back as Morty continued, and walked through him was well. "So, I've simply no light to give," Morty finished. Cloud moved out of his way as Morty passed him and Firion.

"Now if you'll excuse me, gentlemen, I must attend to the engine," Morty said, his body growing transparent as he continued to walk. "Goodbye." A few steps later, Morty had vanished. The four stared in horror at the spot where he had walked. Tidus broke the silence first.

"He may already be dead, but if he does that again, I'm killing him," he muttered, feeling his chest. "He's creepy enough without walking through people."

"Agreed," Cecil sighed, looking himself over.

"So, are we spending the night or what?" Firion asked.

"Well, he _did_ say there were no Crystelle here," Cloud reminded. "And I'd say the dining car is at least worth checking out."

"Insane conductor aside, it would be a good place to take shelter," Cecil mused. "It's cushioned, lit, and warmer than outside."

"As long as he doesn't try anything like that again, I'll be fine," Tidus warned. "For now, if we're staying, let's go have a look at that dining car."


	3. Know Thyself

Shards of Memory

Chapter 3

Know Thyself

"_**Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men"**_– Lord Acton

* * *

Another night of personal torment. Another night of staying awake, pondering the possible and wondering about the what-ifs. She'd had enough of those nights ever since she woke up cold, hungry and confused in Arvis' house with a headache and a name and nothing else. She'd hoped, as she looked over the balcony of the _Falcon_ and saw the tower of ruins collapse into a heap, that she'd had the last of those nights. She'd hoped she could stop fearing what would happen if she lost control or what tomorrow would bring, and just be happy and lead a peaceful, stable life away from war, fighting and insane former Imperial soldiers bent on achieving power.

Obviously her hopes had been misplaced.

Terra turned over in the soft bed underneath her body and let out a sigh, clenching her eyes shut and trying to force herself asleep. Onion Knight, once again had taken the watch, he was out patrolling the castle. He had told her what had happened, since the ordeal had robbed her of her own account. A massive attack from Crystelle that morning, she had stayed to fight them and transformed again. If she'd lost control and transformed against her will, or if she'd submitted to temptation and given in on her own will, she didn't know. Terra decided she didn't want to know, nor did she want to decide which she would have preferred if she had found out.

It was just like before she had made contact with her father's spirit within his Magicite remains. The burning sensation whenever she used her powers, the low pulse in her fingertips emanating from within, the feeling she got whenever she used her magic that she could so much more than just cause a fire or heal a wound. She had stayed silent about it to her new friends. Edgar and Locke had enough to worry about with Figaro being attacked and the Empire locating the Returners. With all her strength focused on keeping her own powers under control, she had leapt at Banon's suggestion that the frozen Esper in Narshe could help her understand those powers.

When that fateful time had come, when she had stood before the creature overlooking the canyons below, the Esper she now knew as Valigarmanda had touched something inside her. Terra knew she was strong, her magic was proof of that. But she'd no idea such a powerful nexus of magical energy had laid dormant within her. Valigarmanda touched that dormant power, and Terra, against her better judgment, accepted the Esper's touch and reached back. In that moment, thoughts racing back and forth, within a few seconds Terra understood. Valigarmanda told her what it was – pure magical power, given a physical form. An Esper. One of thousands, or had once been thousands, of Espers that had fought in the War of the Magi. An Esper that hadn't seen the point of fighting, that thought the war was stupid and for their defiance of the Warring Triad, was condemned to a prison of ice, trapped in limbo between life and death with no hope of either.

Valigarmanda had a nexus of intense energy within him, she could feel it crackling and snapping into the air even through the ice, and when she closed her eyes and touched that nexus, she realized that it was so much like hers. Hers was diminished, lesser than its, but her power and its came from the same source. In that moment, Terra realized what she was, what she must have been. But it was too late. The nexus within her had been freed from its confines, set free unwittingly when she let Valigarmanda touch it. The burning sensation grew unbearable, the pulse of magic in her palms grew into a drumbeat, and with a screech of simultaneous joy, horror and rage, Terra had transformed for the first time she could remember and flew into the skies above Narshe.

There was someone else out there, another magical nexus besides Valigarmanda, and he was calling her. Another Esper, and he wasn't alone. She went to him, and he contained her powers as best he could. He had drawn her back into that mystical place where thoughts and magic were shared, and when she was beyond and incapable of human speech, he spoke to her in thoughts. His nexus was lesser than Valigarmanda's, but still stronger than hers, and Terra sensed he was old, and wise. He proved both guesses true. He told her his name – Ramuh – and told her that he could keep her calm, for now, but it was up to her to learn to control her power on her own. Ramuh had put her to bed, keeping the beast subdued as Terra languished within the confines of her own mind, a million questions circling her head a million times a day, and no answers to any of them satisfying her.

Like echoes from a room down the hall, she heard her friends arrive, felt them come for her. She was aware when Ramuh's power suddenly spiked and then dropped, and his power left, along with the other three nexuses he had been keeping with him. Ramuh touched her one final time before he left, and told her he couldn't help her any more, it was up to her now. Alone, cut off from Espers and humans alike, Terra had laid on that bed in the tower, silently despairing and cursing her power and wishing for a release from the beast within her, barely restrained and clawing at her mind demanding to be set free once more. Her one consolation was the familiar presence of a few of her friends that stayed behind to guard her, and she clung to those presences like a lifeline. They reminded her of her humanity, and even if they didn't know it, that was enough to keep her struggling and fighting her own other half, to protect her friends from herself. Slowly but surely, she pushed the beast further and further back, teaching herself how to keep her newfound powers in check.

Then, they came back. Ramuh's power had returned, and the other three, and the rest of her friends. And many more nexuses of power had come with them. Terra now understood these nexuses were the remains of the Esper dead called Magicite. One of them immediately drew her attention, and as she focused on the pulse of magical power so similar to her own, it came closer, and the Magicite was laid on her chest, and her hand clasped around it. Terra reached out and touched the presence inside the Magicite shard, and gasped as she realized, in that instant, who he was.

Maduin, her father, an Esper, had helped her. He had told her the events of her birth, shown her and the other Returners the Imperial invasion of the Esper realm. Through Terra, Maduin linked the minds of the Returners to hers and through her to him, and they all watched as Emperor Gestahl marched out of the shadowy cliffs leading to the gate to the realm, and ordered the attack on the peaceful creatures. Terra watched as her mother Madeline tried to escape the Esper realm, and was cut down by the Empire. A torrent of wind swept the Empire out of the gate as Maduin came to her. Parents and child tried to make it back to safety, but the torrents swept them out of the gate to lie at Gestahl's feet. Maduin was captured, while Gestahl himself struck down her mother, and plucked Terra from her mother's dying arms to be taken away and raised as a Magitek Knight.

With her father's guidance, Terra was able to come to terms with who and what she was, and learned to control her powers. She tried desperately to help the Returners and Espers strike back at the Empire, to bring about an understanding between the two species. But their efforts had been in vain due to the interference of a single man. In hindsight, Terra wasn't entirely sure when it had happened. Certainly, they hadn't realized it during the actual events. But eventually, the war against the Empire had shifted focus, and become a war against a single man, and that man was not the Emperor. Emperor Gestahl was a horrible person, but he was interested in simply _ruling_ the world. The man who overthrew the Emperor had far higher ambitions…

Letting out a frustrated sigh, Terra stood up from the bed and looked around. The luxurious canopy bed was very soft and comfortable, but sleep wasn't coming to her tonight. The bed was in the bedroom of a very large castle situated on a peninsula near the ocean. A staircase circled from the area the bed was on, down to a second floor with two more beds, then down further to the doorway to the room. Terra looked up through one of the windows set into the wall. The moon was half-full tonight – last night it had been a crescent. Its appearance seemed as inconsistent as the length of the days. Terra had lost track of how long it had been since the cataclysm. A few weeks, a month, several months? She wasn't sure anymore.

There was an echo of a voice, and Terra spun around. The echo had come from the doorway to the bedroom. Terra walked to the railing around the edge of the platform her bed was on, and leaned over.

"Onion Knight?" she called. There was no answer. Terra slowly walked to the stairs and walked down them to the doorway. The chamber outside the bedroom was a large, circular room. Four staircases on the bottom floor led up to a walkway that wrapped around the room and four more staircases there led to a second walkway that connected to the bedroom. Both the two walkways and the ground level had passages and hallways branching out further into the castle. Terra looked around the chamber for the source of the sound, slowly walking down to the ground floor and standing in the center of the room.

Suddenly, a loud cackle filled the chamber. Terra's eyes went wide and she spun around as the cackling continued. She couldn't tell the source, the echoing came from all the walls. Terra's eyes darted around the room as she turned, trying to find the source of the laughter, already having a dark suspicion that she knew whom it was.

"Hiya!" Terra's head snapped to the right as Kefka emerged from the shadows of one of the staircases, his green eyes wide. Terra stepped back as Kefka walked towards her, holding out his arms. "Miss me?" Kefka asked with a grin.

"Like a plague," Terra hissed, her voice and expression going cold. She considered herself a kind and giving person. She had forgiven many people for their wrongdoings; Leo, Ultros, many Imperial troopers. But the one person she could never forgive, no matter how long she lived, was Kefka. The man had single-handedly destroyed more than half of humanity, remade the world in his twisted image, and pushed the planet to the brink of oblivion. Kefka's love of death and destruction had brought the world to its knees and the people along with it. He had declared himself a God, and created a monument to the chaos he had wrought, and loved every sick, evil deed he had done. Terra liked to believe there was good in everyone's heart, even Gestahl's. But there was no good to be found in Kefka.

"I'm flattered," Kefka said, tapping a finger on his chin, his smile growing smaller but not fading entirely. "So, how's it going? Have fun with those Crystelles this morning?" Terra gasped.

"You sent them?" she cried, realizing in her head she was more shocked than she should have been. This _was_ Kefka she was dealing with, after all. She'd seen the lengths he'd go to for something he wanted. He had no limits when it came to that. Kefka could and would do anything for any reason. Most of the time, his actions and reasons made sense to him and him alone.

"Duh, who else would have sent them? Dunno if you've seen my so-called 'allies', but half of them are pretty-boys and the other half you can't tell what they look like under the two-ton armor! So if I wanna have a little fun now and then, what am I supposed to do but play with you?" Kefka leaned back against the railing of the stairs, giving Terra a leer. Terra closed her eyes and breathed deeply, trying not to let Kefka get to her. She had played his sick head games before, she knew how Kefka operated. The problem with dealing with Kefka was that by his nature, he would tell you the straight-up truth and lie to you afterwards, doing either as it suited him. Nothing Kefka said could be trusted, but at the same time it couldn't be entirely thrown out either.

"What do you want?" Terra asked, opening her eyes. The sooner she bought into whatever trick Kefka was trying to play, she sooner she could end it and get rid of him. Kefka rolled his eyes and stood up.

"I thought you'd thank me for that, is all," he said, crossing his arms and giving her a sad look. "I mean, I so graciously gave you a whole army of Crystelles to beat up, you know, to work off that power of yours. The old gang wasn't happy about that, not a bit. I practically defied orders for your safety, you know."

"Thank you? For trying to kill me?" Terra cried, not believing what Kefka was saying. What sort of gratitude could be expressed for something like an army of Crystelles attacking you?

"Well, yeah….no, wait, let me try that again," Kefka said, uncrossing his arms and scowling. "Let's put it this way. I imagine that little wildcat is all tuckered out now, right?"

"I…" Terra didn't have a comeback for that; he was right. Her Esper side had been sated with the battle that morning and had performed the mental equivalent of yawning and curling up to sleep. Her concentration that day had been lax with the knowledge the beast had gone dormant for a time, and it would probably remain that way for a few days.

"Thought so," Kefka giggled, wagging his finger. "Now, let's say I hadn't sent those Crystelle after you. And that little wildcat was kept locked up, and kept growing stronger, until you couldn't hold it in any longer. Who knows what could have happened, hmm?" Terra closed her eyes and turned away. She didn't even try to protest Kefka's claims this time. Unfortunately, he was telling the truth again. He'd given her an outlet for her excess power, given her a few days reprieve from the strain of containing it, and helped avoid what could have been a disaster. If she'd lost control when alone with Onion Knight…

"So, how about that thank you?" Kefka demanded, holding out a hand. Terra opened her eyes and turned her head to glare. "Since you believe me so far, let's keep going, huh? I mean it when I say I've got nooooo interest in killing you, Terra," Kefka winked at her and grinned. "You're so much more fun to play with when you're alive. Oh sure, the _killing_ part is fun, but once that's done you're dead and the fun is gone."

"You're sick," Terra said, aware her insults would likely roll right off Kefka. Kefka lifted his hand to his forehead and frowned.

"Hmm, I _do_ feel a bit feverish," he mused. "Why so hostile, Terra, really? We used to be such good buddies, and look at us now! What did I ever do to you?"

"You destroyed my world and tried to murder all my friends!"

"Granted, good point. In that case, what have I done to ya lately?"

"You sent an army of Crystelle to attack me."

"…Dammit! Okay, what have I done in the last ten minutes?"

"Irritating me and waking me up."

"Crap. I am really off today," Kefka mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. Terra let out a small growl. "Eh? What was that?" Kefka asked, leaning forward and putting a hand to his ear. "I didn't quite catch that."

"I'm not going to play this game anymore," Terra said, summoning her powers. They reacted quickly, and the glowing pink aura appeared over her hands as she stepped towards Kefka.

"Aw, you don't wanna play this game?" Kefka groaned as Terra came closer. He hung his head and sighed. "Alright then…" Kefka looked up at Terra and sneered, a dark gleam entering his eye. "Let's play a new game!" Kefka flung out his hands and fired a blast of energy. Terra cried out as the blast exploded in front of her, sending her flying backwards. She hit the wall behind her and fell forward, lying on the ground. Terra groaned and lifted her head as Kefka snapped his hands to the side.

"Kya ha ha!" Kefka cackled, his eyes bulging. "How about a little magical mayhem!?" he roared, leaping into the air. Terra watched as Kefka flung out his hands and let out a cry. A storm of pointed red magical projectiles fired from his palms, flitting and spinning through the air towards her. Terra turned away and covered her head as the fireballs slammed into the wall and ground around her, filling the air with the smell of smoke and wood. Terra coughed and looked through the smoke, eyes squinted and burning from the smoke. An orb of light flashed through the smoke, and Terra leapt into the air as the orb exploded, leaving a blast mark on the wall where she had stood.

"Having fun yet?" Kefka snarled, drawing back a hand and flinging more spells. Terra landed and leapt up again, the pointed red fireballs circling her and whipping through the air around her – she felt a burst of heat on her face as one flung by her head. She looked up as she landed to see the entire cluster suddenly stop and spin to point towards her, and fired downward. Terra flung up her hands and fired a blast of ice. The fireballs and the ice blast exploded as they made contact.

"I'm just getting warmed up!" a familiar cackle filled the air as more red fireballs zoomed through the smoke. Terra jumped back, the fireballs impacting on the floor, leaving a trail of burn marks on the carpet leading towards her. Terra landed on the ground floor kneeling, and stood up and spun to face Kefka. "I've got an idea," he said, holding his hands out. As Terra watched, a flash of red light burst from Kefka's palms, and a glowing object appeared in the air before him. It was a small, glowing red and black crystal. Terra's eyes went wide.

"Father!" she cried, taking a step forward. Kefka flung out a hand towards her, and Terra collapsed to her knees, gasping. A familiar pulse rose inside her. _"No…not now!"_

"Awwww, does Terra want to say hi to Daddy Dearest?" Kefka taunted, snatching the Crystal from the air. "He tells the best stories about you, did you know that? You were pretty rambunctious as a toddler it seems." Terra fell forward, holding herself up with a single hand, the other hand clutching her chest. It took all her willpower to hold down the power rising within her, keep it under control. Her breathing became labored, and she closed her eyes.

"Oh, what's that?" Kefka whispered, bringing the Crystal up to his ear. "You say we should _what_? Make her transform _now_?" He pressed his free hand to his cheek in mock horror in looked down at the struggling girl before her. Terra shook as she lifted her head to look up at Kefka. "Why Terra, I'd no idea your father was so cruel," Kefka laughed.

"Leave…him…" Terra choked out, reaching for Kefka. Kefka sneered as Terra's fingers brushed his foot, and he kicked her hand away.

"Don't beg, it's pathetic!" Kefka snarled. "You want him back? You know what I want from you. Kill that little pest, and he's all yours!"

"Why should…I believe you?" Terra asked. The sensation of growing power faded slightly, but she still gasped and struggled. She supposed this was Kefka's way of reminding her how horribly cruel he could be. It was the comforting presence of her father's spirit and his teachings that had allowed her to keep her powers under control as those years ago. Somehow, Kefka had found a way to use their connected powers to affect her transformations. Once, in the past, he had come to her and subdued the beast, just to show her he could. Now, it seemed he could antagonize it as well.

"Like you really have a choice," Kefka chuckled darkly. The Crystal in his hands vanished, and Kefka knelt down before Terra. "I hold the source of your power in my palms, you wretched little bitch," he hissed, grabbing her ponytail. Terra cried out as Kefka pulled her head back to make her look him in the eyes. "I can control your transformations like a marionette. And believe me when I say I'd _love _to see you dance for me. And _that_ would be fun, don't you think?"

"You control my transformations…but you don't control me," Terra insisted, her light blue eyes holding Kefka's own, darker green ones. Kefka grinned, let go of her hair and stood up.

"Perhaps, but sooner or later you'll do what I want just the same," he said, crossing his arms. "Simple deal, Terra, it's a trade. You give me the little brat on a platter, and I'll give you daddy back. But, hey," Kefka laughed as Terra pushed herself back into a kneeling position. "Don't decide too quickly now! I'm having fun with him!" Terra looked up as Kefka threw back his head and let out a cackle. The laughter echoed and filled the room as Kefka vanished in a flash of dark light.

Terra's head pounded as she stood up, and she shakily reached out for the railing of the stairs. With slow, careful steps, she climbed back up to the door of the bedroom, her eyes half-closed. Panting, Terra ascended the circular stairs to the bed, and stumbled at the landing. Deciding it didn't matter, she walked over to the two smaller beds, and fell forward. She was unconscious before she hit the mattress.

* * *

The dark portal opened in the east wing of the Chaos Shrine, and Kefka emerged from it, cracking his neck. He took a quick mental stock of himself. Terra hadn't really gotten in a good hit, hadn't even attacked him at all, but all that attacking on his part had been a bit tiring. He needed a snack. Kefka mentally cursed the lack of a good chef. He had to make his own meals. In the name of the Triad and all the Espers they'd birthed, _he_ had to _cook_! Sure, he understood the reason no one else was around, but Kefka still didn't like it. Did the Crystals really have to take away _everyone_? There was no one to cook for him, no one for him to kill when he got bored, which was often come to think of it – Kefka blamed his ever-dwindling patience and attention span on the lack of good meals. Damn Crystals and their light, it was so…_inconsiderate_ of them.

Kefka stopped walking and cracked an eyebrow, turning around. The hall behind him was lined with large stone pillars on either side. Kefka turned his eyes from either side before he let out a cry and flung out a hand. A blast of magical energy demolished two of the pillars, sending chucks of stone and dirt raining to the ground. Kefka didn't care, he figured someone else would use their own powers to clean it up later. Probably Kuja, he seemed like the cleanly type to Kefka.

"You missed," Sephiroth said coolly, emerging from behind a pillar on the other side of the hall.

"I wasn't trying to hit you," Kefka muttered, crossing his arms. "I just like seeing stuff blow up when I'm hungry…or happy…or sad…well, I'm for that most of the time, but especially when I'm hungry."

"The lack of good meals in this place _is_ a bit discomforting," Sephiroth agreed ignoring Kefka's rambling. He'd watched Kefka depart in person, and had used one of the scrying devices Chaos had supplied them with to observe his confrontation with the girl. He knew, when he'd made his decision earlier that day to do so, that speaking to Kefka would be a challenge on several levels. Still, a few things that Kefka was interested in were of interest to Sephiroth as well, so he decided to swallow his pride and try to maintain a normal conversation with him, assuming Kefka was capable of doing anything within the realm of 'normal'.

"I've a few matters to discuss with you. I've questions you can answer," Sephiroth said. Kefka rolled his eyes and turned around, continuing to walk down the hall.

"Whatever milks your goose, go ahead," he called. Sephiroth narrowed his eyes at the odd metaphor, but followed Kefka down the hall.

"That girl, Terra," Sephiroth started, "what is your business with her?"

"Oh, she and I go waaaay back," Kefka drawled. "We're old buddies!"

"You are?"

"No."

Sephiroth let out a frustrated sigh. He'd been expecting the conversation to take such side-roads, but it was still irritating.

"Could you be serious for just one minute?" he asked. Kefka turned around and scratched his head.

"I tried serious once. Didn't work for me," he said. "Not enough fun. Speaking of fun, you ever tried fun?" Kefka learned forward and waved a finger in Sephiroth's face. "You really should, ya know, loosen up a bit." Sephiroth looked down at the finger less than an inch from his nose then glared back up at Kefka.

"If that finger touches me, I'll remove it from your body, along with the rest of your hand," he said slowly. Kefka's eyes went bright, and he drew his hand back and leaned closer.

"You know," he whispered. "I'll bet you and I could be _great_ friends."

"I think I'll pass," Sephiroth said. Kefka drew back and help up his hands.

"Suit yourself."

"I'll ask again. What is your interest in Terra?" Sephiroth repeated. Kefka lifted a hand and fired a blast of energy at the wall. When the dust settled, he hopped up in the small hole he'd made and reclined his head in his arms.

"Alright, fine. First, a little history lesson," Kefka said, closing his eyes. "Back in my world, we had a little something we called 'Espers', big-time magical demigods. They waged a pretty big war with humanity a thousand years back on the behalf of three gods. Eventually, the gods petrified themselves, the war ended, and the Espers ran away to another realm."

"That's an interesting tale," Sephiroth said, being sincere. He'd not paid much attention to the tales of the others about their exploits on their worlds. He just hadn't particularly cared. Kefka's story, however, _was_ intriguing. Were there not more pressing matters, and were he speaking to someone more stable, he'd ask more questions, but there were, and he wasn't, so he quashed his curiosity. "But what does this have to do with Terra?"

"Right, right. Well, twenty…twenty-one, twenty-two? Bah, I forget how long it's been. Anyway, a couple decades ago, an old man by the name of Gestahl found the portal to the Esper world. Thing is, someone else beat him to it a couple of years before. She got real close to one of the Espers, so we figured. We captured a lot of Espers back then, and found the woman had a kid, between her and an Esper. Guess her name, huh?"

"Terra," Sephiroth nodded. "Then she is a half-human, and a half-Esper?" Sephiroth inwardly pondered that small bit of information. Something about this wrung as familiar. Sephiroth couldn't help but notice it bared certain similarities to another young woman he'd once be acquainted with…

"Yup, that'd be her. We took her back, did a bunch of experiments on her. Eventually we started infusing humans with magic artificially. The very first Magitek Knight was yours truly, of course." Kefka stopped and grinned as he spoke. "But Terra…phew, she was something else. Oh sure, we perfected the Magitek process, and we pumped out Magitek Knights like they were going out of style. But we never came close to matching her kind of power."

"I would imagine so," Sephiroth said. "She had innate magical abilities while all your 'Magitek Knights' had magic forcibly extracted and infused."

"That's about right. Then, she got older, started thinking for herself. This is where the story gets tricky," Kefka sat up and leaned forward. "For a while we tried to beat her into submission. Starve her, torture her, you know, try and break her. The problem was she held out on us and called our bluffs. She was one-of-a-kind, we couldn't afford to let her die, and she knew it. So she let us starve her because eventually we'd have to feed her, and she knew no matter how hard we hit her, we couldn't kill her. And we couldn't try psych stuff, we wanted her sane. We had to try something else. That's where I come in." Kefka held out his hand, and there was a small flash of light. A circular band of metal appeared floating above Kefka's hand. Several wires and small lights decorated it.

"What is that?" Sephiroth asked.

"It's something I call a 'Slave Crown'," Kefka said, the item vanishing. "We popped it on her head, and BAM!" Kefka slapped his hands down on the stone he was sitting on for emphasis. "Bye-bye conscious thought, so long free will! She was ours to control as we wished, she was pretty much a mindless puppet at that point. Whatever the order, she listened. Until we made the mistake of letting her get near another Esper. Her power spiked and shortened the damn thing out. She escaped, and damn, did that bite us in the ass like you wouldn't believe," Kefka crossed his arms and grumbled under his breath as Sephiroth looked away and thought.

"Let me guess. She eventually helped overthrow you."

"Not only did she help, she was the key player!" Kefka snarled. "Well, the joke is on her. This little memento may not work anymore, but I've got something else that'll work just as well."

"I was watching," Sephiroth said. "You can use her Crystal to control the ebb and flow of her transformations."

"When an Esper dies," Kefka said, ignoring Sephiroth, "their remains crystallize into Magicite. It was her father's Magicite and his spirit that helped temper the little wildcat. The Crystal of her world just happens to be his Magicite, so I can use their link to my own advantage. I can make her powers well up, or I can sink them down. I could probably use them to force her to transform outright, but I haven't taken it that far yet."

"That's what I just said," Sephiroth muttered, slightly irritated. Kefka gave him an odd look.

"Really? Huh, I wasn't listening," he shrugged, jumping to the floor. "Alright-y, your turn." He crossed his arms and looked at Sephiroth expectantly.

"I beg your pardon?" Sephiroth asked. Kefka rolled his eyes.

"I shared my plan with you," he snapped. "Now it's your turn to share your plan with me! Spill it!"

"Oh?" Sephiroth asked, walking down the hall away from Kefka. "And when was that part of our agreement?"

"H, hey!" Kefka yelled, stamping his foot as Sephiroth walked away. "You don't walk away from me!" Sephiroth ignored him. Kefka scowled and held back a hand. "People don't walk away from me," Kefka whispered, an orb of red energy forming in his palm. Sephiroth stopped and turned his head, an emerald eye watching Kefka through his bangs. "They _run_ from me!" Kefka shouted, flinging out his hand. A flurry of red fireballs zoomed down the hall towards Sephiroth.

Sephiroth spun around, Masamune appearing in his hand in a flash of light. With a cry, he swung, cleaving apart the flurry and deflecting the attack to the walls. The fireballs that weren't dispersed by the blow were knocked aside, slamming into the walls, ceiling and floor, leaving clouds of smoke in their wake. As Kefka watched, the smoke cleared to reveal Sephiroth unharmed, the Masamune held over his shoulder.

"You're in over your head, Kefka," Sephiroth said lowly, narrowing his eyes. "Do not test me." Kefka sneered and twirled his fingers. More orbs of fiery energy appeared in his hands.

"Oh, trust me," Kefka replied. "It wouldn't be a test, it'd be a full-out exam."

The two Warriors of Chaos stood still in the hall, sword and spell at the ready. Sephiroth watched Kefka closely, ready to react as soon as the mage made a move. He had no desire to fight Kefka, it wasn't particularly appealing to him for several reasons. He would win, of course, but still, he had other issues to deal with that night that required his energy and concentration. Kefka was not one of them. Several moments passed, then Kefka lowered his hands and grinned.

"Well, see ya!" he called, snapping a salute. Sephiroth let his confusion show as wisps of dark energy rose from Kefka's body. "Keep on truckin'!" Kefka vanished with a laugh, leaving the hallway empty. The Masamune vanished into particles of light, and Sephiroth lowered his hands.

"Hmph…" he grunted, staring at the spot where Kefka had stood a moment ago. He turned and resumed walking away. The minor confrontation at the end of their conversation aside, his time spent on Kefka had proven unexpectedly fruitful. He had gotten the information he'd desired about Terra, which was his primary goal. He understood now, why Kefka was so interested in her. Now that he knew the entire story, Sephiroth had to admit she intrigued him as well.

But, interest in Kefka's quarry could and would wait. For tonight, he had an armored accomplice to locate, and a blond puppet's memories to sever.

**Next chapter, the first major fight scene of the story.**


	4. Strength of a Dream: Cloud vs Firion

Shards of Memory

Chapter 4

Strength of a Dream – Cloud vs. Firion

_**"Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly."**_ – Langston Hughes

* * *

"We'll take the western path, you take the eastern path, and we'll meet back here in an hour. Once we have a better idea of which path goes where, we can decide where to go to next. Sound good?" Tidus finished and waited as his allies considered his plan. The chilly, windy cave they were in had suddenly forked into two paths. There was no telling which path went where, and they had to cover ground quickly.

"Sounds like an idea," Firion nodded, folding his arms and shivering slightly in the cold. "Cloud, you ready?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah," Cloud replied, coming out of his thoughts. It was still relatively early, if when they had woken up was 'morning'. He'd had another one of those dreams again last night. This time the strange female voice was talking to Cait Sith in the Temple of the Ancients.

_"The Ancients…" _Cloud thought. He didn't know much about them, no one really did. The ancient Cetra were a mystery to modern humans, their relics lost to time. But something about them struck Cloud as important. Not important in the way their relics had directed the fate of the world, important in another way, a personal way. Cetra…

"Alright, let's go," Firion said, heading down one of the forking paths. Cloud followed after him as Cecil and Tidus took the other route. The path Cloud and Firion were on went wiper as they walked, tall walks of white and blue ice rising on either side of them. Cloud looked up at the ceiling and saw only darkness.

"You had another one of those dreams, didn't you?" Firion asked ahead of Cloud, looking back at him. Cloud lowered his eyes from the ceiling and nodded. "I can tell, you've been quiet all morning." Firion explained, turning to face forward again.

"I'm sorry," Cloud whispered, stopping and closing his eyes. "I just…I have to remember who she is, Firion, before I can't anymore. Right now I have memories of where she should be, what if I lose those too? What if someone was cut right out of your memories and you didn't even know it?"

"Cloud," Firion said suddenly, jogging forward. Cloud opened his eyes to see Firion turn a slight corner, and followed him. A few feet around the corner, Firion stood straight, a bright light in front of him as the path – and the cave it was in – suddenly ended.

Before them stretched a large, open space. Above, to the sides and below was nothing but blue sky. Below them and far out in front, floating in the air, was a large castle. It was a simple, square thing with four turrets and a central keep rising from the center. The roof of the castle wasn't stone or wood, but lush green grass.

"What is this place?" Cloud asked, looking around the blue expanse of sky.

"I don't know…any idea where we go from here?" Firion asked, moving aside on the path. Cloud carefully stepped forward and looked down. The cave path suddenly ended at nothing, the end of the path waving and undulating like water as it gave way to the sky beyond. Cloud knelt down and ran a hand along the edge of the path.

"It hums," he thought aloud, focusing on the low, tingling pulse from the path. He lifted his head slightly to look out over the abyss. "Firion, hold on to me," he ordered. Firion nodded and grabbed one of the straps over Cloud's shoulders. Cloud took a breath and carefully leaned forward. He put his hand over the air, and felt around.

"What is it?" Firion asked, watching. Cloud drew his hand back and stood up.

"It's a path. The air there has the same hum, and I can touch something solid. It's just invisible," Cloud explained. Firion looked down and held out his hand. With a soft burst of blue light, a shard of ice sprang from his palm and shot forward. The spell hit the invisible path and shattered into frost and snow. The ice shards fell and blanked the path, revealing it partially. It was several feet wide and sloped downwards, towards the castle.

"There's our way forward," Firion nodded. He looked down and lifted his foot, taking a cautious step on the ice-covered path. After stamping his foot a few times, he stepped fully onto it. "If I plummet to my death here, it's your fault," Firion joked weakly. Cloud smiled slightly as Firion fired another ice spell forward. More of the path became visible, and Firion took a few more steps forward. The way cleared, Cloud followed him. It took a bit of time and patience, but slowly the path appeared in the wake of Firion's spells, and a few minutes later he hopped down to the grass of the castle roof. Cloud jumped down behind him.

"So, where to now?" Firion asked, scratching his arm absentmindedly. Cloud looked around. The path they had come from was now a swirling portal in the sky, the icy cave visible through it. There were other portals in the sky as well. One looked out on a temple of some sort, another looked over a forest, and another looked over another cave. And those were only the ones Cloud could see from his current viewpoint.

"There could be paths leading to all of those portals," Firion said, voicing Cloud's thoughts. "Not enough time to explore them all before we have to go back. Well?"

"Look around the castle, see if there's anything here. Then we head back, see if Cecil and Tidus want to investigate the other portals," Cloud said. Firion nodded and began to follow Cloud around the castle roof. As far as either of them could see, the walls of the castle had no doors, through the turrets emerging from the corner had a few small windows. There seemed to be no way inside.

"So…what happened in the dream last night?" Firion asked suddenly, kneeling to look over the castle wall at one of the ledges below. Cloud frowned and closed his eyes.

"We were at an ancient temple…Sephiroth, he was seeking a powerful relic called the Black Materia, that would call a Meteor to wound the planet. The temple itself was the Black Materia, but the mechanism to transform it was inside the temple. So, in order to get it, one of us had to sacrifice themselves, to be crushed as they activated the mechanism and the temple transformed…"

"So who decided to go?" Firion asked quietly. "Was it her?"

"No…a member of our group, Cait Sith, he was a robotic spy for Shinra. He offered to sacrifice himself, to redeem himself for betraying us. When we met him, he was a fortune teller, so to cheer him up…" Cloud grunted and winced, lifting a hand to his forehead. "She…she asked him for one final fortune…to cheer him up. It said…I can't remember that much. But it really excited him. I kinda felt…I can't really remember that either…I think I blushed a bit."

"I see," Firion nodded, climbing to his feet. "I'm sorry you have to go through this. Dreams should inspire hope and courage, not fear and hesitation."

"It feels like I'm losing my grip on what's real," Cloud whispered. "I've felt like this before, I had hoped I never would again. Who I really am, what really happened in my past…what if my other memories start to go? What if I begin to forget everything important to me?"

"I can't give you your answer," Firion sighed, looking up at the sky. "All I can advise is that you keep searching for it. Sometimes, to clear your perceptions, you have to focus on what's ahead rather than what's passed."

"I have nothing like that. I'm fighting for the Crystals, and the hope they can give me my memories back. In order to see what's ahead I have to remind myself to look back. I'm not like you, Firion. What keeps my future moving is my past. I don't have something like a dream or a flower to keep me fighting."

"Flower…" Firion murmured. He lowered his eyes to his breast, a large pink rose blossom pinned to his clothing. "I'm sorry my dreams are too lofty for you, Cloud."

"You know I didn't mean it like that," Cloud defended, looking over at him. "I think it's great that you have something like that to keep you going. I just wish I could find strength and drive like that. I used to have it, now I'm not so sure anymore."

"Dreams don't have to be complicated, Cloud," Firion said, lifting the blossom from his clothing and twirling it between his fingertips. "I don't want anything complex. I just want peace. I want a world where people don't have to struggle against the hardships of tyranny and war and poverty. I want a world of freedom. And I'll do whatever it takes to make that world a reality." Firion looked back at his chest and pinned the rose back into place. He fingered the petals and smiled.

"It will be difficult to find the Crystals, this is certain. But we have to do it, to restore the worlds and the people we hold dear. And once things are right again, I'll keep working. The Emperor is gone in my world, but many others hold the same value over power and control as he does. If I must pursue such villains until my final days, than I shall. I won't stop until such cruel men are brought to justice, and the people of the world don't need to fear them any longer. And in that world, freedoms and wild roses alike shall grow in abundance for all to enjoy."

"I don't want to sound overly sentimental, but…that's beautiful," Cloud muttered. Firion lowered his head, his cheeks pinking slightly.

"It's what I believe in," he whispered. "And it's what gives me the strength to keep fighting, even in these dark times. To fight for those who should not have to."

"I used to have that kind of strength," Cloud said. "But now…" Cloud thought for a moment, then looked back at Firion, who still had his back to him. "Firion…can I ask a favor?" Cloud asked.

"Of course."

"…will you fight me?"

Firion frowned and turned around.

"What?" he replied.

"The strength of a dream…the power to keep fighting for what you believe in…I want to remember what that feels like," Cloud explains. Firion watched him for a moment, and nodded.

"As you wish," he said. "Just a sparring match, of course."

"Naturally," Cloud replied, drawing the Buster Sword from its harness. "All the same, I won't hold back, and I don't want you to either. I've watched you in battle, I know you can handle yourself. If you go easy I'll know."

"My sentiments exactly," Firion reached to his waist and drew his sword, the red-tinted metal and handle glowing slightly. "I fight for what I believe in Cloud. And since you asked, I'll show you that sort of strength again." Cloud took a breath and moved into a fighting stance.

"The strength to fight for what you believe in…" he whispered to himself, closing his eyes. A moment later, Cloud opened his eyes and charged forward.

Firion moved as quickly as lightning, his free hand snapping to his back. The Buster Sword swung, and Firion moved his hand back into view, holding his lance. The sword rang in the air as it slammed into the lance, and Firion twirled the weapon, flipping the Buster Sword aside and spinning to bring his sword to bear. Cloud leapt back, the sword missing him. He landed in a crouch and quickly stood up straight. Firion twirled his lance about his fingertips and moved swiftly as he ran forward, his hand reaching back. In one smooth motion, Firion's hand pressed the handle of the lance into its holder, and wrapped around the handle of his axe.

With a cry, Firion flung his hand forward, the axe spinning forward through the air. Cloud rolled to the side to dodge it, rising into a kneeling position and lifting the Buster Sword as Firion brought his sword down over him. The two swords clanged against each other, the larger one easily stopping the smaller. Cloud swung and knocked Firion back, and brought the Buster Sword back for another strike.

"Behind you," Firion called. Cloud turned and cried out, ducking his head as Firion's axe swung back behind him. Firion ran and jumped, catching the axe from the air and bringing it down to attack. Cloud looked up and leapt to the side, rolling as Firion's axe slammed into the ground. Cloud flipped to his feet and held the Buster Sword back over his shoulder, the blade glowing yellow. With a cry, Cloud charged and swung. Firion lifted his sword to deflect the blow, and the weapon was knocked aside, imbedding its blade in the ground. Cloud swung again, and Firion gasped as his axe was knocked from his hand, spinning up into the air. Cloud brought back the Buster Sword, a glowing orange kanji humming on its blade, and swung a third and final time.

Firion screamed as a blast of wind erupted in the wake of the blade, sending him flying backwards. Cloud gasped as Firion was thrown over the edge of the castle wall.

"Firion!" he called, running forward. Firion looked down and scowled, grabbing one of the twin daggers strapped to his belt. He drew his hand back and flung the dagger up through the air. The weapon imbedded itself in then wall of the castle, small chunks of stone and dirt flying as it made contact. Firion grabbed the small cord wrapped around the dagger and swung forward, planting his feet on the castle wall. Above him, Cloud looked down and let out a breath.

"You okay?" he yelled. Firion looked up, and charged up the wall, the cord spool on his belt re-winding itself as he ran, and finally leapt over Cloud's head. Cloud spun as Firion landed, rolled and grabbed the hilt of his sword from the ground, finally flipping to his feet. Firion turned and held out his sword, smirking.

"Never better," he replied, charging. Cloud met the strike and parried, spinning around to counter-attack. Firion ducked the blow and moved to the side, looking up. With a cry, Firion leapt back, lifting his hand to pluck his falling axe from the air. He landed and clipped the axe back into its holder. Cloud ran forward, and Firion jumped back. He flung out a hand, and a blue aura appeared around the dagger imbedded in the castle wall. Firion wrapped his hand around the cord at his waist, and pulled. Cloud's eyes went wide as the dagger snapped through the air and wound itself around his waist, and pulled him forward. Firion landed and drew back his fist as Cloud was dragged closer, with a loud grunt slammed his fist into the blond's chest.

Cloud went flying backwards, the cord and dagger around him going slack. He hit the ground heavily and slid backwards. He looked up to see Firion catch the dagger and clip it back on his belt. Panting, Cloud slowly climbed to his feet and held his sword out.

"You look tired," Firion offered. Cloud closed his eyes and shook his head.

"I've got plenty left," he replied, lifting the Buster Sword over his head. The broadsword glowed with crackling blue energy as Cloud spun it rapidly, and slammed it into the ground. A wave of bright blue and green energy fired from the sword, racing along the ground. Firion hunched down and leapt up into the air, the energy beam passing under his and dissipating. Cloud looked up at Firion landed on the central tower rising from the castle roof, and jumped after him.

Cloud landed on the tower, which seemed to have the same grass on the roof as the lower section. He turned towards Firion and lifted the Buster Sword to block a lance strike. Firion spun and twirled lance and sword effortlessly, and Cloud struggled to block the dual-assault. The sound of clanging steel rang through the air as Cloud fell to his knees, holding the Buster Sword over his head to block Firion's lance. Cloud gritted his teeth and pushed, swinging the sword out and forcing Firion back through the air. The rebel landed and drew a hand back over his shoulder.

"Prepare yourself!" Firion called. Cloud watched as a crackling aura of blue power appeared around Firion. With a grunt, Firion hefted his lance and threw it. Suddenly, twin daggers, axe and sword took on the same blue glow and flew through the air. Cloud stepped back, stunned, as the weapons surrounded him. Suddenly, the lance flew through the air, and Cloud cried out as the blade narrowly sliced his arm, cutting the fabric but now the skin. Dagger, sword, dagger again, then axe. One by one, the weapons flew past Cloud, cutting through his clothing and grazing him. As Cloud doubled over from the final blow, he looked up to see Firion charging towards him. The wind was knocked out of his lungs as Firion slammed his head into Cloud's chest. The Buster Sword slipped from his grasp as Cloud stumbled backwards over the edge of the roof, falling and landing heavily on the ground below.

Lying sprawled on the grass, Cloud gasped for breath and closed his eyes, his entire body sore and tingling. He heard a thump, and lifted his head to look at Firion standing over him. He groaned and let his head drop back.

"You dropped something," Firion said. Cloud turned his head to look to the side as Firion planted the blade of the Buster Sword in the ground beside him. With a grunt, Cloud sat up, and Firion held out his hand.

"I used to to be able to fight like that," Cloud said weakly as Firion pulled him to his feet.

"You still can," Firion nodded. Cloud turned and pulled the Buster Sword from the dirt, returning it to its holster. "We all fight for a purpose, Cloud. I know you can find yours, if you search for it."

"I hope so," Cloud replied. "Firion, with all due respect, you haven't been through the stuff I have. You can't help me." Cloud turned towards one of the portals in the sky around the castle. "Whoever she is, I won't stop until I know who she is. I know my answer is out there somewhere…I have to find it. Find her."

"You want to find some evidence of who she is?" Firion asked. Cloud nodded.

"There has to be something out there, to tell me who she is. I know it's out there…I can feel it calling me." Cloud fell silent, and Firion lowered his head and thought.

"Then go find it," he whispered.

"What?" Cloud asked, turning around. Firion crossed his arms.

"Cloud, you're right, I can't help you. None of us can. This is something you have to do alone." Firion raised his head and locked eyes with Cloud. "Long ago in my world, when Emperor Mateus was killed, my step-brother Leon took his place and tried to crown himself the new Emperor. We had to confront him and try and stop him. I had to make a difficult decision, to face my stepbrother in battle…maybe even kill him if it came to that. I am grateful that it didn't, but I was prepared for it all the same. The point is, I know sometimes, it's not easy to do what has to be done. But you still have to decide if you can do it or not. Cloud, do you want to go look for your answer?" Cloud nodded.

"Then go look for it. Find your Crystal, and your answer. Tidus, Cecil and I can handle ourselves, and I know you can, you're probably the strongest of us. Go find what you need." Firion smiled and tapped his fist against his chest. "And when you find it, we'll all meet up. We'll take out the rest of the Warriors of Chaos together, and you can fight for your dreams, the good ones. Both of us."

"Firion…" Cloud turned his head ahead. "Are you certain?"

"Yes." Firion walked up to Cloud and uncrossed his arms. "I'll handle Tidus and Cecil. We all have things we have to do ourselves…maybe this is yours. You said you could feel it calling you. Where is it?" Cloud looked around and pointed to one of the portals, which showed a series of cliffs around a grassy field.

"There…it's like a slow pulse," he whispered. Firion stepped up to the edge of the castle and held out a hand, firing a blast of ice. Another invisible path appeared under the frost.

"And there's your path to it," Firion nodded. Cloud turned to him.

"Thank you. I'll come back, be sure of it," he said.

"I am," Firion replied, putting a hand on Cloud's shoulder. "Here." Firion reached into a pouch on his belt and withdrew two small, blue flasks. "Hi-Potions, left-over from before the cataclysm. I've been trying to conserve them in case we need them, aside from these two, I have five left…something tells me you'll need them."

"I appreciate it," Cloud reached out and took the flasks. He had a handful of Materia himself, but they only had simple spells – as Cloud recalled, the three green orbs had Fire, Thunder and Cure. He hadn't used them much, with their very nature centering on them drawing power from the Lifestream, he had quickly discovered Materia was very weak in this chaotic world and became drained of power easily. He had avoided using them to try and conserve what little energy they could muster. "Anything else?"

"If you die, I want them back," Firion said. Cloud smiled. "Seriously, don't get killed. A lot can happen when you're alone. I have faith in your skills, but it'll still be dangerous."

"Well, according to Cosmos there are six other Warriors out there somewhere. If I'm lucky, maybe I'll find some of them," Cloud reminded.

"Perhaps. Good luck." Firion stepped back, and lifted a hand to cast one more ice spell. More of the path appeared, and Cloud took a breath before stepping onto the layer of frost leading to the portal.

* * *

"It's getting dark," Terra whispered, stepping over a cracked stone in the bridge. Terra looked up at the sky. The sun was sinking swiftly on the horizon and the two moons of this world were visible in the darkening sky. The presence of two moons – one red, one blue – was a bit surprising to Terra, but she'd seen far more strange things on the planet than in the sky.

The mountain behind them and the forest around it had suddenly ended, and a massive stone bridge extending out over the water. It was as wide as a ship and so long she couldn't see the other end when she had first started to cross it. The bridge was lined with a long, tall stone railing and periodically, guardhouses appeared on either side, though of course they were unmanned. Terra couldn't imagine the work that must have gone into making a structure so long it could span a sea. Onion Knight had been impressed too, exclaiming, "that's a big bridge!" when they crested the mountain and it came into view. Terra had silently agreed with the blunt observation.

"_Da da, dadada dum…da da da dada, da da da, da dum …" _Several feet ahead of her, Onion Knight was skipping and jumping over cracked and broken stones in the bridge, singing some tune he seemed to have made up on the spot. Terra hadn't told him about the attack last night. He had asked that morning about the damage done to the hallway, but Terra explained it to him as her powers acting up and her trying to let them bleed off a bit. He had accepted her explanation and not questioned it. It wasn't his place to know about the twisted offer Kefka had extended to her last night, the same offer he'd extended on previous visits with her – kill Onion Knight, or otherwise deliver him to the enemy camp, and he would return her world's Crystal, Maduin's Magicite shard. Terra hadn't told Onion Knight about Kefka's offers before and she certainly wasn't going to now.

Terra hadn't even given thought to accepting the deal. On the one hand, she would never forgive herself if she took such a horrid deal. And even if she somehow gave into her weakness and accepted, she knew Kefka would never fulfill his end. The twisted jester may have been the most unstable being she knew of, but the one consistent thing with Kefka was that he never kept his word. He delighted in manipulating and using others and betraying them once their usefulness ended. She knew better than to think this time would different.

Terra looked up, coming out of her thoughts. Another guardhouse, Onion Knight had already gone through. Terra pushed open the door, walking through the small room, and out the other side. Onion Knight turned around as Terra emerged from the doorway.

"It makes sense I guess," he said, jerking his thumb over his shoulder. "A big bridge ought to lead towards a big city." Terra took a few steps forward, and brought her hands to her mouth as she looked at what stood in the wasteland at the end of the bridge. This place…

_Smokestacks belched putrid yellow-gray smoke into the air, filling it with a sickly aroma that blanketed the city. Steel girders and catwalks ran over the rooftops above the houses, and dark eyes and gleaming blades glinted in the alleys between the buildings. Factories, train tracks and piping lined the streets, running up, down and along the paths. An armored soldier patrolled every street, seeing and not caring for the immoral actions of the people and occasionally taking part in them. Rising above it all was a massive steel castle, a horrid modernization of ancient architecture. It stood as a dark testament to what the residents of the city were doing inside their factories. And hanging from every wall, from the underside of every catwalk and flying from flagpoles on the rooftops, the red and black flag the world had come to see as synonymous with the horrific miracle that was Magitek…_

"Vector…" Terra whispered, her eyes wide. It couldn't be. Vector was gone, destroyed to make way for Kefka's monolithic tower of ruins, which itself was destroyed. The capital of the Gestahlian Empire couldn't possibly be here now. As Terra lowered her hands, she realized in fact, it wasn't. The massive steel city rising from the barren wasteland ahead wasn't Vector. Certainly, this city had the same sense of mechanized dystopia, but the two cities were not the same. This city wasn't dominated by a castle, but by a looming tower. As far as Terra could see, steel walls in a circular pattern surrounded the city, blocking entrance from the ground.

"You know this place?" Onion Knight asked, looking up at her. Terra shook her head.

"No…I thought I did, but no," she replied. The initial shock had worn off, and the quick rush of adrenaline had faded. The same sinister architect may have designed this place, but it was not Vector. The bad memories of the torture she'd endured inside the walls at the hands of the Empire had faded.

"Well, let's check it out!" Onion Knight cried. "Night's coming soon and we still need a place to stay!" Terra nodded and followed him forward as the two sprinted over the wasteland. It was a mile or so to the edge of the city, but with no obstacles in the plain to slow them they made the trip fairly quickly. There was a large steel gate set into the wall that barred the way forward. Onion Knight clamped his hands together and stretched.

"Stand back, my turn!" he called. Terra nodded and took a few steps back. Onion Knight rubbed his hands together, and held out his sword. The blade glowed, and a flurry of tiny fireballs bombarded the door. It exploded in a blast of smoke, and Onion Knight turned away. The smoke cleared to reveal the doorway blasted open, the edges of the door peeled in and glowing hot. Onion Knight sheathed his sword and dusted off his hands.

"Piece o' cake," he smiled, walking forward. Terra chuckled slightly and followed him inside. It was dark now, not that Terra would have been able to tell. The city was covered with steel plating, and save for a handful of holes in the covering, there seemed to be no natural light in the city. The covering had many, many large lights underneath it looking down, but many of them weren't working. The end result was that the city was lit, but very dimly.

Terra looked down from the plating and turned her attention to the city itself. The buildings were constructed out of rubble, an odd mismatch of stone, wood and metal. The path leading to the city, however, was full of bright yellow flowers around a garden, beams of moonlight shining down on them through holes in the plating above. At the end of the path of flowers was a small house. Unlike the other ramshackle buildings, this house had a uniformly red shingle roof with stone and wood walls. Several feet in front of the house, surrounded by a short fence, was a small, crystal-blue pond.

"Pick a house, and there's our haven for the night," Onion Knight, turning to face her. Terra looked around the buildings and pointed to the house with the shingle roof. It looked so much more peaceful than the other buildings made from scrap materials. "Sounds good." Onion Knight began walking towards the other buildings beyond the house Terra had picked. "I'll take a quick look around for Crystelles, you wanna check out the house?"

"Alright," Terra nodded. Onion Knight marched behind one of the distant buildings as Terra approached the door to the cozy little home. She pushed the door open and peaked inside. Surprisingly, the light in the ceiling was on and worked, and the house as a result was well lit. The inside of the house was small. Cupboards and drawers sat along the left wall, with a round rug and a table with three chairs in the middle of the room. In a small side room to the right was a small fridge and stove with more cupboards on the walls. A staircase round up the far wall behind the table, a landing partway up. Underneath the stairs was another table with some weird box on top of it with an obaque gray screen.

Terra walked up the stairs to the second floor and looked around. Two doors, likely bedrooms both. A table sat against the wall behind the stairway, a vase with some of the yellow flowers outside on it. Terra pushed open the door to the first room and looked inside. A dresser, a round blue-and-white checkered rug over a light yellow and pink carpet, and a bed. Terra smiled. It would be nice to sleep on a bed two nights in a row. Hopefully tonight she could do it without an untimely visit from Kefka. Terra looked to the side at the dresser beside the door. Two more vases with flowers on top, and a larger vase with larger blooms lay on the floor beside it.

Sighing, Terra sat on the bed and looked around the room. She noticed a door beside the bed, and stood and pulled it open. A closet. Terra suddenly felt a twinge of guilt for going through the owner's belongings. Well, technically the owner didn't really exist anymore, but it still felt strange. Terra chided herself for feeling bad. She wasn't really doing anything wrong, just looking around. She reached into the closet and fingered the fabric of a dress hanging there. It was white with no sleeves, and blue trimmings along the waist and bottom. It was actually quite pretty, and obviously, meant a woman had lived here once.

Terra thought about that for a moment. Admittedly, she hadn't paid much attention to the world around her that she didn't recognize. She had enough to concern herself with - mainly, Kefka, the Crystals and Crystelles. Still, she had to admit it was interesting to see so many new places. There were so many devices she didn't recognize, while some others looked like something from her world but were so much more advanced. Terra couldn't help but wonder now who had lived in this house before the cataclysm.

"_Well, whoever she was,"_ Terra thought, looking over her shoulder at the dresser and the three vases, _"she must have really liked flowers."_

* * *

It was night, had been night for several hours now. Cloud had contemplated stopping and taking a nap, but decided against it. He was alone, now, he couldn't afford to stop and sleep anywhere he wished. Besides, this wasteland offered little cover or protection, so he could easily be caught off his guard and ambushed, by monsters or worse. Cloud's mind had been racing since he'd left Firion, and he had something of an energy rush from leaving his companions that had helped him fend off fatigue, at least for now. Sleep could wait until he found shelter. It wasn't as if there was someone dictating he travel by day and rest by night. Given the erratic lengths of either, doing so strictly would have been horribly inconvenient.

For what Cloud guessed was the fourteenth time since night had fallen, he wondered if he had done the right thing. Firion was right, of course, Cloud knew that much. Finding an answer to the mystery of his fading memories was something he had to do on his own. Still, Cecil and Tidus wouldn't be happy. Cecil would probably be concerned, whereas Tidus would probably be forthright angry. Or maybe he would understand, having his own personal challenge to overcome. Cloud wasn't completely sure how his companions would take the news. It didn't matter now. He could not and would not turn back and he was fairly certain he companions wouldn't follow him. Their paths may have run parallel, but they were still not the same. They each had their paths to take to wherever they might lead, he had his and it had taken him away from his friends. Nothing to be done for it.

Cloud looked up at the two moons in the night sky and noticed it was getting a little brighter. It would likely be daylight in a couple hours or so. He'd gone the entire night without sleeping then. The erratic day-night cycles were playing havoc with his biological clock, the first week or so he'd had headaches and nausea from waking and sleeping in such irregular patterns. Cloud lowered his eyes back to the terrain ahead, and slowed down, his eyes narrowing.

"No…" Cloud whispered, looking around. This place…the wasteland, the rocks…it seemed familiar. Cloud searched his mind, and realized he knew this place. Cloud broke into a sprint and ran forward. He knew it was highly unlikely, with the shuffling of the cataclysm terrain landmarks meant nothing. And yet, somehow, Cloud knew it would be there…Cloud stopped as he reached the edge of the land and slowly stepped forward onto the cliff. The memories of that dark day were blurry, always had been, and yet they were somehow vivid. The smell of blood and rain, the distant sounds of gunfire and screams…and the sight of bright blue eyes staring lifelessly, partially covered by black hair caked with drying blood…

"Zack…" Cloud whispered, staring at the ground. This was it, the same place. The same place he'd crawled to in the rain to watch his friend and comrade take his final breaths as he handed Cloud the Buster Sword, his dreams and legacy with it. Cloud lifted his eyes from the ground, and stared out over the edge of the cliff. Beyond the cliff stretched a vast wasteland. And in the center of that wasteland, a city. But not the city Cloud remembered. A city untouched by a duel between him and Sephiroth, unharmed by Meteor's coming, a city that hadn't had its sector column destroyed so part of the upper plate could collapse to crush a small uprising. The city was whole, undamaged, and unmistakable as any other in its world.

Midgar.


	5. Kindred

Shards of Memory

Chapter 5

Kindred

_**"We do not remember days; we remember moments. **_**_"_ **–Cesare Pavese

* * *

The smell of the water and nearby flowers meshed with the scents of pollution as Terra stepped out of the house. The night hadn't been too long and she was still a bit tired, but it was daylight and time to move on. She supposed it was only fair since the night before last had been a bit long, though she'd still spent a deal of it awake.

"Okay then," Onion Knight said, looking around. "A big city to search to Crystals and baddies, what do you think?" Terra thought for a moment.

"I think it's best if we stay under the…" Terra looked at the steel covering over the lower part of the city. "Plate," she settled on, "and focus on looking around down here. I don't think there are any Crystelles though, I haven't felt anything and if there was something here we would have heard them during the night."

"Good point," Onion Knight agreed. "So, how about we split up, pick a direction, look around and see what we can find? Maybe we'll find some real food in this place!" Terra silently agreed. The monster meat the two of them had been living off of since coming here filled the stomach but wasn't the most appetizing meal. The thus far unfulfilled hope that actual food could be found in one of the cities they kept finding was a welcome prospect.

"Sounds as good a plan as any," Terra said. Onion Knight turned and walked off through the makeshift streets of homes. Terra sighed and closed her eyes. She didn't sense any Crystelles nearby, but there was something…a source of power nearby. A Crystal? Terra opened her eyes and looked around, trying to find the direction the pulse of power was coming from. Satisfied, she began walking through the rubble and houses towards the source. Terra was determined to find the cause of the magical energy, but otherwise she wanted to get out of this dark steel city as soon as possible. Appearances aside, the city just felt…dead. Like someone had followed it out removing every shred of life and left nothing but this metal husk.

As she walked closer towards the source of the pulse, Terra became more and more confused. The pulse of power seemed to resonate eerily well with her Esper side, but rather than antagonize it, the pulse seemed to…please it. The pulse was pleasing to her human side as well, like lulling music. Terra turned the corner formed by the piles of trash and scrap metals, and lifted her head.

Rising amidst the rubble of the city was a building different from the others. Terra saw it from the side and began walking towards it. The build was two-stories tall and constructed out of wood, with a central spire rising from the front of the building. As far as Terra could see, the roof was collapsing in the middle, and a bell hung inside the roof spire. As she drew closer, she noticed a pair of large double doors at the entrance, with a beautiful stain-glass window set above it. Terra focused, and confirmed what she'd suspected upon laying eyes on the building – the source of the pulse of power she was sensing was inside. Terra walked up to the doors and lifted her hands, slowly pushing the doors open.

The inside of the building was lined with rows of wooden benches, along with tall stone pillars supporting what was left of the roof. More stain-glass windows lined the walls, and chandeliers hung from the ceiling, though there was no light source in them. At the far end of the building was a doorway into some sort of back area, and a platform with a podium and an altar set into the back wall. In front of the platform, at the end of the rows of benches and pillars, the floorboards had been broken and taken away to reveal a small patch of dirt. And springing forth from the dirt was a sea of white and yellow flowers. The roof had fallen away above them, allowing beams of sunlight to shine down onto the plants.

Terra smiled slightly and walked down the central walkway, her boots echoing between the walls. She stopped at the edge of the small garden knelt down, reaching out a hand. She brushed one of the flowers with her fingertips, and inhaled sharply. A small jolt shot through her arm and Terra snatched her arm back. The flowers were crackling with magical energy, and her Esper side had quickly perked up with her power touched theirs. This flowerbed was the source of the magical presence she had sensed. Terra recovered from her initial surprise and reached out her hand again. She closed her eyes and focused.

Brimming like a geyser from the ground beneath the flowers was a spring of magical power, dispersing and weaving through the air. Terra's mouth opened slightly at the realization. This geyser seemed strange, like…a lake that had been cut off from the river feeding it. There was still power here, but it seemed weaker than it ought to be. Could it be a result of the cataclysm? Terra cocked her head as she examined the flowers…they seemed familiar. It suddenly occurred to her the flowers in the house she'd slept in looked just like the flowers here.

Terra lifted her head to look up at the altar set into the wall. A tapestry hanging there depicted a woman with long blonde hair wearing an ornate outfit that seemed to combine a flowing white dress with golden battle armor. The women held a large golden shield and pike, and seemed to be to be rising from the earth, tendrils of green energy flowing up and around her. Terra looked at the tapestry and let out a slow breath. Not for the first time, she wondered what type of world this city came from.

Terra lowered her eyes back to the flowers. It was almost like an oasis of magical power here. The rest of the city, at least, the parts she had been through, were devoid of any magic, there was no power and no life in the earth. The ground had felt stale. But here, the magic was strong, and the dirt nearly sang with energy. Terra smiled and reached her hands down to the flowers, carefully grasping the stem of one and snapping it off. She lifted the bloom to her nose and let out a small chuckle.

She decided she liked it here.

* * *

The sound of metal on metal grated on Cloud's ears as he plunged the Buster Sword through the large steel doors leading into Midgar. With a grunt, he pulled the sword back, using it as a lever to pry the doors apart. With a long, low creak, the steel parted slowly, then faster. Cloud pulled the Buster Sword back and put it back in its holster, then stepped through the door.

Midgar was just as he remembered it, a steel fortress of poverty and death. Rubble and trash still littered the area under the plate, various bits and pieces of machinery and vehicles and general scrap metal tossed away. Houses built out of choice bits of the rubble sprouted here and there, though in some places houses of scrap and piles of scrap were indistinguishable from each other. Cloud's boots crunched over the rocks and dirt on the ground as he walked down the row of steel piles and homes.

This city held nothing but bad memories for him. When he'd first come here years ago to join SOLDIER, he'd just been a kid who wanted to prove himself. Partly to his friends, partly to himself, partly to the cute neighbor girl next door. He'd heard that Midgar was supposed to be a technological haven, but over the next few years he'd learn the city was anything but. The city was a testament to the destruction Shinra wrought on the world, every inhabitant below the plate with his or her own personal horror story to tell. And like the dead ground caused by their Mako Reactors, Shinra spread like a horrific plague around the world, a plague that was most concentrated here.

This city itself was little more than a magnet for destruction and chaos…Cloud supposed it was fitting then, that Midgar had survived the cataclysm to manifest in this dark world. His failure to join SOLDIER, the reign of terror Shinra had held the world in, the escape of Jenova and the chain of events spawned from her escape, the battle with Kadaj and Sephiroth, Omega's awakening…maybe it was Cloud's imagination, but most of the chaos the world faced seemed to originate here in some way.

"It'd be a natural place for one of the Warriors of Chaos to lurk then," Cloud thought aloud, stopping and looking up at the plate overhead. He wouldn't be entirely surprised if Sephiroth was waiting for him within the Shinra Tower, ready to ambush him. Cloud wasn't sure if he wanted that or not. Letting out a sigh, Cloud began to move forward again. He had to find a way onto the plate, he could decide to investigate the tower or not then.

_"Cloud…"_

Cloud suddenly stopped after a few steps, and frowned. He turned and looked behind him, and scanned the rubble for any sign of anyone else. He had heard it, a woman whispering his name clear as day. And yet, the city around him was empty. Glowing blue eyes shifted from side to side, and then clenched shut. Cloud let out a breath and reached up to rub his forehead. Maybe his mental problems with his dreams were bleeding into the periods he was awake.

_"Cloud."_

Cloud's eyes snapped open and he whirled around at the sound of the voice again, this time right by his ear. He stared out at what stood behind him: a small, run-down church. Cloud turned fully towards it and winced, turning his head away. He knew that place, somehow…he'd been there before…hadn't he? Cloud hesitated before stepping towards the church, noticing as he drew closer the doors were open. His heart pounded in his ears as he stopped at the doorway. Cloud took a breath, and stepped inside the church.

It was well lit inside by beams of sunlight shining through the holes in the roof. Cloud looked up at the crumbling architecture and let out a small sigh. He had been here before, he was certain…and someone else was here too. Cloud lowered his eyes from the roof, and gasped. Someone else _was_ here. A young woman was kneeling at the end of the church, looking at the flowers planted there. As far as Cloud could see, she had blonde hair in a loose ponytail, and a flowery pink cloak over a red dress. She didn't seem to be anyone he knew, but then he hadn't seen her face yet.

"Hello?" Cloud called softly. The woman stilled, and turned her head towards him. The light shining down through the hole in the roof above her seemed to intensify for a moment, and Cloud squinted and blinked. The woman rose to her feet, staring at him with bright green eyes. The light faded, and Cloud blinked again. Wait, she had blue eyes.

"Who are you?" the woman asked, drawing her hands to her chest. "Are you a Warrior of Chaos?"

"No…I was brought here by Cosmos," Cloud replied. This woman…he didn't know her, but something about her seemed familiar…who was she? The woman smiled and let out a small laugh.

"That's…a relief," she said, lowering her eyes with a smile. "Cosmos had told me when I came here, that there were nine other warriors, but I didn't…" the woman stopped herself and took a breath. "I'm just…glad, that there are others."

"I get it," Cloud nodded. "It's dangerous with the Warriors of Chaos around, good to know you aren't alone." The woman smiled again. "I'm Cloud."

"Terra."

* * *

"This was not part of your plan," Mateus said, crossing his arms. Sephiroth met the emperor's glare with one of equal ire. He had known there was a slight possibility Cloud's actions could interfere with his plans for him, but he hadn't expected Cloud to outright leave his allies and set off on his own. In a world of monsters and darkness, to be alone was practically suicide. Sephiroth had underestimated Cloud's stupidity. To add onto his irritation, Mateus had found out and summoned him – the idea left a bitter taste in his mouth – to the central hall of the shrine to interrogate him.

"It is a minor setback, nothing more," Sephiroth replied. He knew his plans had been hindered, so he'd simply have to re-evaluate them. It wasn't going to be made easier with Mateus sneering down at him while he tried to do so.

"Minor? As I recall your plan was to take control of Cloud's mind and use him to slay his travel companions!" Mateus roared, stepping down the ramp of the Chaos Shrine towards Sephiroth. "I'm sure you could understand how that could be complicated now, as he is no longer with them! What now? All your time and effort on him has been wasted."

"Don't lecture me you incompetent fool," Sephiroth hissed as Mateus stopped a few feet in front of him.

"What's even more pathetic is his motivation for leaving was spawned as a result of your manipulations," Mateus continued. "Your plan quite effectively ruined itself. I should have known better than to-."

The emperor was cut off as Sephiroth lashed out his hand, the Masamune appearing in his grasp in a flash of light. Mateus gasped and lifted his staff as the katana sliced towards him. The sound of clanging steel echoed through the hall of the shrine as Masamune was caught on the emperor's staff. Mateus recovered from the shock of the attack and glared at Sephiroth, watching him under the curve of the steel.

"Don't you dare speak to me in such a way," Sephiroth said lowly. Mateus swung his staff and knocked the Masamune aside.

"You dare strike me?" Mateus demanded angrily. "Don't let anger cloud your thoughts. The fact is your plan has failed before it even begun. What will you do now that your work has amounted to nothing?" Sephiroth cooled his anger before thinking of a response. Despite his cries of rage, Mateus was correct, he had to rethink his plan now.

"I will concede that this hinders my plans for Cloud," Sephiroth said carefully, "but I don't see how my plan is ruined entirely. I am still in the process of destroying his mind, and in time I can still take control of him. It is simply what I plan to do with him that must change now."

"He was supposed to dispatch three other Warriors of Cosmos for us," Mateus reminded. "If you didn't study arithmetic, that's a third of our enemies that would have been slain. This is a considerable set-back."

"But one I can recover from," Sephiroth insisted. "It is not as if he will not run across others. All I need is time."

"Time is something we can't afford to spare flippantly," Mateus snapped, turning and marching back up the ramp of the Chaos Shrine. "We have lost two Crystals, and every day the Warriors of Cosmos survive is another day closer to the awakening. The divine dragon could move at any time, and we must act quickly to destroy Cosmos before the beast ruins all we've strived for!" Mateus turned with a flourish, clicking his staff on the ground.

"Sephiroth, all pieces must follow their charted path or our plans will be for naught. You know our grand design, you know what it is we work for. If one of us fails, we all fail."

"Really?" Sephiroth asked, crossing his arms as the Masamune vanished. "If I fail, the rest of you do as well? It seems to me you're making excuses for your own incompetence." Mateus opened his mouth to reply, but Sephiroth wasn't finished. "I do not believe you have noticed this, but you command nothing here, Mateus. We all have our own schemes to follow besides yours."

"Chaos himself has stated we are to drain the Crystals of their light and kill Cosmos' minions before the divine dragon awakens," Mateus grated. "And if we fail because you cannot complete your assigned task than I believe that the god of discord will grant you a far worse fate than death." Sephiroth lowered his head and chuckled. "What's so funny?" Mateus asked. Sephiroth looked up at him with a small smile.

"I've met men like you before, you know," he explained. "You're a self-important fool who likes to listen to the sound of his own voice. Why should I listen to anything you have to say when you don't know anymore than I do?"

"Well spoken, Sephiroth." Sephiroth looked over his shoulder as Garland pushed open the doors of the Chaos Shrine, walking past Sephiroth to look up at the emperor. "Mateus, old habits truly do die hard, don't they? You'll never learn when to take a hint and step aside."

"Have you come to sneer at me, Garland?" Mateus sneered, sweeping his staff through the air. "Or do you have something important to say?"

"I ought to ask you the same question, but I do not resort to petty bickering," Garland said. "Given the status of Sephiroth's plan, I thought it might alleviate your eternal foul mood Mateus, to hear good news. Kuja's plan was a success, Zidane has been teleported far away from Bartz and Squall."

"That _is_ good news," Mateus conceded, folding his arms over his chest. "What's occurring with him now?"

"Kuja is saving his strength from the effort to weave that fake Crystal, once he has recovered he'll finish Zidane off. Squall and Bartz have already found their Crystals, we can do nothing more with them for the immediate future. Zidane is another story, he can and will fall."

"Excellent, that is one positive note of the last little while," Mateus said. "Are you certain Kuja can defeat Zidane alone?"

"I offered my assistance or to recruit others to help, but he rejected my offer," Garland replied. "He wants to duel and destroy Zidane on his own."

"Hmph. Pride will be that fool's undoing someday," Mateus said. "A man has no greater weakness than his own short-sightedness and arrogance."

"You would know, I'm sure," Sephiroth muttered. There was a pounding, and both Garland and Sephiroth turned.

"Knock knock," Kefka said, poking his head inside the doors of the Chaos Shrine. "Am I interrupting something?"

"Not at all, Kefka, I was merely delivering some news to our allies here," Garland answered.

"Oh goodie! Let me keep the ball rolling then." Kefka skipped up to Sephiroth and slapped a hand on his shoulder. "Okay, got some news Sephy."

"My name is Sephiroth," he growled.

"Whatever," Kefka waved his hand in the air, and Sephiroth rolled his eyes and looked away. "Word on the street is you've been working the mental mojo on a Warrior of Cosmos. Lean guy, about yay-high with hair like a Chocobo's ass?" Kefka said, gesturing with his other hand.

"What of it?" Sephiroth asked, growing irritated. He noted that Kefka seemed to have that effect on him lately.

"Well, I hear he's hanging out in some big city a long ways away," Kefka stopped to inspect his fingernails, and Sephiroth narrowed.

"And?" Sephiroth asked. Kefka looked up at him and broke into a wide grin.

"Guess who else is there?"

* * *

"This place is from your world then?" Terra asked, turning her head to the side to look at the flowers. Besides her, Cloud nodded.

"Yeah, this whole city is. It's called Midgar, it's where I…spent a lot of time," Cloud settled on.

"I don't like it," Terra said softly, rubbing her arm. "It's too cold and dead here…" She didn't voice the way the city reminded her of Vector and brought up the dark memories associated with it. Cloud silently agreed with her, though he was probably biased given his history with Midgar. He unhooked the Buster Sword from its holder and laid it against the edge of one of the intact pews, and then sat down on the pew bench.

"Are you traveling alone?" Cloud asked. Terra had to be strong, to have survived this long and been chosen by the Crystals. Still, he couldn't help but wonder how strong she really was. She seemed so small and shy to him…not for the first time Cloud wondered how he seemed to almost recognize her.

"No, Onion Knight travels with me," Terra replied, kneeling back down to inspect the flowers again.

"Onion Knight? That's an odd name."

"He says it's not, 'Onion Knight' is just his title, but he won't tell me his real name," Terra chuckled. "He says it's a secret…what about you?"

"I told you my name already," Cloud replied.

"Not that, I mean…are you alone?" Terra asked. Cloud wondered how to answer that briefly. He quickly decided it didn't matter one way or the other if she knew or not.

"I am now, didn't use to be. We were traveling in a group, four of us…I left to go on my own," he said. Terra looked over her shoulder at him.

"Why?"

"I…" This time, Cloud's decision didn't come so easily. Terra was obviously trustworthy, she was a fellow Warrior of Cosmos after all. But he hadn't even told Tidus and Cecil about his dreams and fading memories, and he didn't particularly want to tell Terra. "I just needed to go off alone, is all," Cloud said aloud. "I was looking for something."

"The Crystals?" Terra asked, standing up. "We're all searching for them, Cloud. That's why we ought to stick together." Terra's eyes suddenly lit up. "You could come with us! We can search for them together, I'm sure Onion Knight wouldn't mind."

"Not interested," Cloud replied, standing up from the pew. He'd left his friends to find answers on his own. Terra had struck something inside him, something new and yet eerily familiar. He wanted to understand what that was, but he had other things to concern himself with now. He'd left to find his answers, and if he hooked up with another group now it would be pointless. "Besides, who ever said it was the Crystals I was looking for?"

"Then what?" Terra stepped closer to him. "Tell me what you're looking for, maybe I can help you."

"I doubt it," Cloud closed his eyes. He didn't want to be harsh but he had to be, to get away from her and keep himself focused. "You don't understand what's happening to me, so you can't help." He turned around and locked eyes with Terra. "Do you know what it's like to not be sure who you really are? Do you know what it's like to question your own thoughts? Have you felt your mind shatter into pieces leaving you to pick up the shards of memory that survive?" Cloud calmed down slightly after his outburst, and watched Terra's face. She was giving him some sort of strange look, still meeting his eyes. Cloud decided it was a look of confusion. "I didn't think so," he muttered, turning back around. Terra lowered her head as Cloud's boots stepped down the aisle to the doors of the church.

"You're scared because you know those thoughts you've lost could be anything." Cloud stopped at the sound of Terra's voice. Terra lifted her right foot and slowly began walking towards him. "You could be anyone, and you know you have no idea. You don't know who you really are, what you're really like. You could have forgotten your greatest enemy or your greatest love, and you'd have no idea. You'd give up anything, go anywhere, do anything, to get back the memories you've lost…but at the same time, in the back of your mind you prefer not knowing, in case those memories tell you things you don't want to know."

Cloud's eyes had gone wide as Terra grew silent behind him. His own outburst about his current situation seemed relatively minor now. She had practically read his thoughts and spoken his feelings aloud. Cloud slowly turned around and looked down at Terra.

"How do…how do you know that?" he whispered, awed. Terra took a slow breath and turned her back to him.

"It was a long time ago…I woke up in a man's house with no memories. No ideas who or what I was…all I could remember was my name," she said. "I ended up running minutes later, running from people who wanted to kill me for reasons I didn't understand. After that…" Terra opened her eyes. "The story gets a lot longer. I ended up caught between two sides in a war over magical power, and all I really wanted was to understand what I was, how I had…" Terra cut herself off. Cloud didn't need to know about her powers, it wasn't important for the time being. "How I had gotten myself caught up in such a struggle," she said instead. "So, yes. I know exactly how you feel, Cloud. I may understand it better than you do." Cloud hesitated for a moment, and slowly laid a hand on her shoulder.

"I…I'm sorry," he said softly. "I didn't mean to come off like that. But…Terra, my past…it's complicated."

"You're preaching to the choir," Terra let out a small laugh. "I'm not asking you to tell me your life story Cloud. I don't expect you to anymore than I plan to tell you mine. All I'm saying is that I do know what it's like, to search for answers to who you are."

And you found your answer eventually?" Cloud asked.

"Yes, it took time, but I did. So I know what it's like, when you're lost and confused, to have someone to help guide you," Terra said. "I don't want any one of us getting hurt, there's only ten of us and we carry the hope of the world on our backs. You want answers, I can't agree with you more. All I'm saying is that, maybe we can help each other."

"How do you suggest we do that?"

"Team up. The three of us look for our Crystals together. The Warriors of Chaos are all unified. So let's fight them together, I know we can help each other!"

As Terra finished, Cloud locked eyes with her again. The suspicious déjà vu feeling tugged on the corners of his mind again. Terra was from a different world, and yet something…plus, she had a point. She had suffered through the same affliction he was, seeking the same answers to the same questions. Maybe she _could_ help him, somehow...Cloud smiled slightly and nodded.

"Alright. I…yeah," he whispered. Terra smiled. She had been completely serious before and she had said she knew how Cloud felt. She had hated feeling like that; powerless, alone and confused. Hopefully, she could help Cloud avoid those feelings. And she wasn't lying either when she thought they could help each other. Even if she couldn't help him rediscover his memories directly, she could at least support him. And a new companion wouldn't hurt either.

"Okay then. Let's find Onion Knight, decide where we're off to next," she replied.

"When I came here," Cloud said, "I felt something calling me, pulling me closer…it came from the north"

"The north?" Terra closed her eyes and concentrated for a moment. "You're right, I feel something there too…like a low pulse."

"Yeah, that's it," Cloud said. Terra opened her eyes and nodded firmly.

"We have our heading then."

* * *

Sephiroth's boots reverberated up and down the hall in the northwest wing of the Chaos Shrine where he kept his quarters. He had never needed much sleep, even when he was human – relatively speaking – and a member of SOLDIER, he only needed a few hours rest. The day he had set Nibelheim to the torch had been his last day as a "true" human being, ever since then sleep had been something he had never needed. Chaos, it seemed, had resurrected him with that shortcoming. To have to waste time doing something so mundane as sleep almost felt degrading, but it was a humiliation Sephiroth would endure to keep his strength up. Draining Cloud of his memories wasn't the most tiring task in the world, but it still took energy.

Kefka's news had been…an unexpected surprise. Cloud had left his allies, but apparently had met up with the girl Terra that Kefka had set his sight on. They weren't yet sure if the two intended to travel together, but they would surely soon find out. Sephiroth was hoping they did. Terra was an object of vague interest to him, and if she and Cloud became comrades then he could focus on both of them at once and appease his curiosity and further his plans for Cloud at the same time. More than that, the main complication his plan had faced earlier that day was that Cloud was alone – Terra, and the child in her company, solved that problem quite nicely.

Sephiroth simply hoped that Terra wouldn't interfere with his plans for Cloud. Cloud's former allies were just humans, warriors fighting for a cause. Terra was different, Kefka was attempting to trick and play her. Kefka's manipulations in the future could have an adverse effect on his own plans for Cloud. If he was fortunate then it wouldn't come to that, but Sephiroth knew better than to place his faith in luck and fortune. He'd have to pull Kefka aside later and have a chat with him concerning the potential conflict of interests. The mage's plans for Terra simply _would not _interfere with his plans for Cloud. There would be no debating about that.

"Sephiroth."

Sephiroth stopped and turned his head as he reached a junction in the hall. Golbez stepped down from the right hall and stopped a few feet in front of him.

"I hear Cloud and Cecil are no longer companions," Golbez said, crossing his arms. "I'll assume this wasn't an intended factor in your plan?"

"Word travels quickly in this world, when there's less than two dozen beings in it," Sephiroth muttered. "Who told you, Garland? Or was it Mateus?"

"My source is of no concern to you," Golbez said sternly.

"Hmph. Fine, keep your secrets, whatever pleases you," Sephiroth replied, resuming his walk to his quarters. He wondered for a moment why Golbez wouldn't tell him, but brushed the thought aside. It ultimately didn't matter, he knew now and it wasn't as if there was a long list of suspects he could have found out from.

"I've also heard he's found new companions," Golbez continued, following Sephiroth. "The girl Terra Branford that Kefka is pursuing, and the Onion Knight child. It seems your intended fatality count has decreased by one."

"That would be our best-case scenario. We don't yet know if they plan to travel together or not," Sephiroth said evenly.

"Perhaps _you_ don't," Golbez chuckled. Sephiroth stopped walking at the insinuation and narrowed his eyes.

"Oh? And how would you know then?" he asked suspiciously. Golbez had always kept his distance between himself and the other Warriors of Chaos, always finding things out on his own without anyone ever claiming to tell him. Sephiroth didn't know how he did it, but he didn't care. Let Golbez play in the shadows pulling strings only he could see, Sephiroth didn't have the time to waste deceiving his would-be allies for no good reason.

"I believe we've already covered that topic," Golbez said. "That aside, shall I assume the new plan is to kill them instead of Cecil and the others?"

"Of course, why not?" Sephiroth replied, turning around.

"It seems to me there's a slight complication in that plan. Kefka's devoting just as much time to Terra as you are to Cloud," Golbez explained. "I'll doubt he'll take kindly to you killing her."

"Could you please remind me where in our previous conversations, that I cared what Kefka wanted?" Sephiroth asked. "I know his plans for her, he wants her back on our side. He thinks he can sway her back to our cause." Golbez leaned forward slightly.

"Do you?"

"It doesn't matter what I think. What matters is that if he can't do it before I'm finished, then she'll have to die. On our side or under our feet, either way she'll be dealt with and that's one less Warrior of Cosmos to fret about."

"You've given no consideration to the alternatives have you?" Golbez held his hands out in front of him. "On the one hand, you seek to take control of Cloud's mind. On the other, Kefka tries to tempt Terra to join us." Sephiroth watched as Golbez slammed his fist into his palm. "Rather than one plan trump the other, why not execute both and incorporate then into one another?"

"Are you suggesting I work alongside Kefka?" Sephiroth almost growled. "I don't think so. He does not strike me as one to work well with others."

"An area, by contrast, I'm certain you excel in," Golbez laughed, lowering his hands. "Such hypocrisy is unbecoming, Sephiroth."

"I've worked with you, haven't I?" Sephiroth asked.

"True," Golbez admitted, nodding. "Then simply ask yourself, Sephiroth, which is better? A dead Warrior of Cosmos, and one on our side, or…both of them on our side? I should think the answer is obvious." Golbez grabbed the edge of his cloak and spun around, vanishing in a crackle of dark energy. Sephiroth stared at where he had been.

"Me and Kefka…work together…?" he thought aloud. A moment later, he sneered and turned, heading on to his quarters. "Hmph. We'd be more likely to kill each other first."


	6. Ghosts of the Past

Shards of Memory

Chapter 6

Ghosts of the Past

_**"You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life."**_ – Winston Churchill

* * *

"I don't know about you," Kefka yawned, picking at his ear, "but I'm boooooooooooored." Kuja's lip curled up as Kefka pulled back his hand and held his fingers up to eye level to inspect whatever he'd pulled out. Kefka was sitting atop a square column in the main hall of the Chaos Shrine, reclining with his head in his hand. Kuja was pacing back and forth at the foot of the ramp leading to the top of the room.

"If you're so bored, you little cretin," Kuja muttered, stopping and crossing his arms, "then how you make yourself useful and suggest a plan?"

"Do I really look like a guy with a plan?" Kefka snapped, leaning his head up. "What about you, aren't you getting ready to take on monkey boy?"

"I'm simply biding my time," Kuja sniffed. "Zidane and I have played out this little drama before in the past. If I want to make sure this performance is his last, I must be in prime condition."

"I did not understand a word o' that," Kefka grumbled, pushing himself to the ground. "Alright, let's get serious for a sec. Your weird little playacting aside, let's do a rollcall. Bartz, Squall and Zidane. And then there's Terra, she's mine. So that's six damn other warriors to deal with. We gotta team up and take at least one of 'em down, before there's not enough of us left to team up!"

"For once, I entirely agree with you," Sephiroth called. Kuja and Kefka turned as Sephiroth emerged from the pillars above the hall, standing over them.

"Awesome, Sephy's getting social, I like it," Kefka laughed, clapping his hands. Sephiroth ignored him and hopped down from the ledge, landing on the floor below.

"We have to take action against them while we have the advantages of surprise and unity," Sephiroth said. "The question is who to focus our attention against."

"Our best course of action is to work against those we know we can succeed against," Kuja thought aloud. "With their Crystals, Squall and Bartz are too strong to attack, and Zidane will be dealt with shortly. That is a third of the enemy team out of the question, and seven left. Hm...what about Hikari?"

"The warrior? Cosmos' champion?" Sephiroth asked. He thought for a moment. Hikari, the Warrior of Light, Garland's chosen adversary. He was a strange case, that one. Though he traveled alone the brilliance of his light was blinding, dwarfing his allies. To destroy him and cast that light into shadow would be a wonderful victory and a large step towards taking control of the Crystals. But he was a powerful warrior and a dangerous one as well. "A possibility, but a risk as well," Sephiroth said aloud. "He may be too dangerous to handle."

"Yeah, let's go for someone easy," Kefka said. "Uuuh….what about that Tidus kid? He doesn't look too tough."

"Don't forget, he's Jecht's son," Kuja muttered, crossing his arms. "That's a delicate situation in of itself. Besides, he's traveling with Cecil and Firion, too much trouble to take them all on. Not to mention the problem with Cecil and Golbez. And factor in Mateus and his bloated ego focusing on Firion, and that's an entire trio that I really don't think is worth the trouble just yet." Sephiroth frowned and thought back to the events of the day. Now that Kuja mentioned it…

"While we're on the subject…where is Golbez?" he asked. Kefka shrugged.

"Who knows, who cares? I ain't his keeper, you? He's always running off somewhere or another without telling anyone. Maybe he's off playing big brother with Cecil, why does it matter?"

* * *

"You sacrificed yourself to save my life," Cecil whispered, bringing a hand to his chest. On the mountain path in front of him, Golbez crossed his arms and waited for Cecil to continue. "I had forgiven you long before that, and when you returned to help us I saw the light shining within you. You had left the darkness that tainted you behind…but this…Golbez, brother…how can you betray me, and turn back to that path?"

"How could I not?" Golbez boomed. "Death is not a fate I find accommodating, Cecil. Would you have me languish in the realm of the dead for eternity?"

"Of course not!" Cecil said, lowering his hand and stepping forward. "I would be entirely happy to see you alive again, were it not under such circumstances."

"Then do not presume to pass judgment upon me! We must all do what we must when the time comes. My time came, and I did what was needed. Even if it is by dishonorable circumstances, I am restored to the world of the living…well, if this place can truly be considered a world anymore. The cataclysm indeed lived up to its name, slamming the worlds into one another like this. I'd have been a bit more careful with my role in it had I foreseen the results."

"Then it's true…you took our world's Crystal. You cast the people of our world in darkness, to revive yourself!?" Cecil cried. Golbez hesitated for a moment, and then nodded. "Why? How could you do this, turn back after how far you've come? Your words of forgiveness and redemption those years ago, were they just lies?"

"They were as true words as ever I have spoken," Golbez said. "But things are different now. Before I was simply a tyrant, even if under Zemus' control. There is no justification for the atrocities I conducted in his name. This is not the same."

"Then why did you do this? Rosa, Kain, Rydia, Cid, everyone…you condemned them to darkness for yourself? Manipulations or not, what justification can be found in that?" Cecil asked. Golbez let out a sigh and closed his eyes within his helmet.

"You are in no position to decide if what I have done is right or not, you have not had to make the decisions I have," Golbez said lowly, growing irritated. "Cecil, believe me when I say that, though my actions are not honorable, my intentions are."

"I want to believe that," Cecil replied, turning his head away. Golbez opened his eyes and looked up at the sky.

"I don't have much time before they notice my absence. Cecil, there are forces at work you cannot understand. I want what is best for our world, the same as you. But things must get worse before they can get better. Despite your accusations, I didn't come here to start a fight, though if you want one I'll indulge you. Rather, I came here to help you, and would prefer it if you let me do so."

"Help me how?" Cecil asked, still not facing Golbez.

"Your comrade Cloud, he is not what he seems."

"Cloud? He left us."

"He may later return. Be wary of him, there is a dark presence seeking to control his actions." Golbez thought for a moment before continuing. "To the east there is a town, there are no Crystelles nearby. You can make it there before dark, and rest there safely for tonight. In the morning, continue east."

"Why should I trust you?" Cecil asked lowly. "You always had a penchant for tricks and games. How can I be sure you aren't just trying to lead us into another one of your traps?"

"You can't. The decision is yours. I took a great risk, coming here alone while your companions are not far away. I can do nothing but hope my trust in you shall be returned. Farewell, Cecil." Golbez grabbed the edge of his cloak and spun.

"Wait."

Golbez stopped the teleportation and listened, letting his cape back down. Cecil took a step forward and brought a hand to his chest.

"Why are you helping me? Aren't you my enemy once again?" Cecil asked.

"…appearances can be deceiving, Cecil." Golbez focused and vanished in a flash of dark energy.

* * *

_"You have all been summoned here for a purpose…" Garland called over the hall of the Chaos Shrine._

_"No one summons me," Mateus growled. "Who dares presume himself to be my master?" Golbez watched as Garland turned to Mateus._

_"The God of discord and destruction…the great demon lord Chaos, master of all darkness," Garland said. "Chaos desires power, total and absolute. Power to dominate all life. Life spawned by the light, and that light is spawned from the Crystals." As Garland spoke, Golbez thought for a moment. It was then he had a suspicion to why he had been plucked from death, but kept quiet._

_"And what exactly, does that have to do with me?" Kuja asked. The other beings - not all of them human - in the shrine's main hall had looks of agreement on their faces._

_"The pretty-boy is right! What's the big bad demon god need us for?" Kefka snapped.  
_

_"Every world has a Crystal responsible for spawning all lives on that world. If the Crystal is captured and its light extinguished, then Chaos can seize control of it. For this, he has called us. Ten of us, each attuned to one of ten Crystals. Enough to upset the balance of light and darkness, and the forces of evil will overwhelm not just our worlds, but all worlds." Garland slowly looked between the other nine warriors._

_"Chaos has given us all a second chance at life. He has taken us from death's grasp to serve him. We owe our existence to him now, and he in turn asks he serve him. As his Warriors, we are to take control of the Crystals and fill them with darkness, so he may begin his dominion."_

_"This Chaos guy thinks big," Jecht said. "Too bad I really don't care. You said it yourself, we're all dead. I'm sure you'd all like to take out some pent-up frustrations, but petty revenge ain't my thing." Golbez silently agreed with him. He had lived, he had died. He had nothing to gain by causing torment and chaos on his world. He'd already done enough of that when he was alive.  
_

_"You do not understand," Garland said. "When Chaos takes control of the Crystals, he will need emissaries to convey his will to them. That shall be us. By Chaos' will, we shall control the Crystals. The Crystals are powerful beyond comprehension. They can alter the strands of time and change the course of fate."_

_"Change the course of fate?" Ultimecia chuckled, crossing her arms. "Then, we can…"_

_"Yes," Garland nodded. "When we take the Crystals, we can change our destinies. The defeats we've been handed can be undone, we can return to life, more than that, it will be as if we never perished at all. We can remake the worlds, the universe itself, at our whims."_

_"Change our destinies…" Golbez whispered, bowing his head. He thought for a moment. "And we will be able to do as we wish with our worlds once the Crystals are ours?"_

_"Indeed. They will belong to the darkness then, and once they do Chaos gives us free reign to reshape the worlds however we want. To overwhelm them with monsters, rip them apart, restore its people to be our servants. It will be for us to decide." The room was silent for a moment as the magnitude of Garland's words, and Chaos's offer, began to sink in. Then, Jecht lifted his head._

_"Count me in," he said. Mateus stepped forward and smiled._

_"The power to control our fates?" he laughed. "We would be unrivaled…"_

* * *

"We will reign as gods ourselves, ruling mortals, our power absolute," Mateus said, sweeping his staff through the air in front of him. The emperor stood atop one of the Chaos' shrines towers on the roof, looking over the twisting landscape on the ground below. The shrine was the weakest point between the realms of light and darkness, and so it was here that the effects of the cataclysm were most apparent. Desert, water, dirt, grass, forest and mountain all spiraled towards the shrine, a vortex absorbing all worlds into itself. Behind Mateus, Jecht reclined against a half-destroyed wall from what he guessed had been some upper level of the shrine. The Cloud of Darkness hovered in front of him.

"Power isn't all it's cracked up to be," Jecht mumbled, looking away from the Emperor. Mateus overheard him and turned, clicking his staff on the ground.

"Why do you say that?" he asked.

"I had power once," Jecht replied simply. "A lot of it, enough power to level cities. Didn't work out too well for me, in fact, it got me killed. Given the choice I'd stick to mortality and mortal strength. I don't want or need that sort of power."

"Oh? Then why did you accept Chaos' offer?" he asked, slowly walking towards Jecht. "Do you not, like all of us, desire the power to change your fate?"

"Yeah, so? What can I say, death ain't exactly a happy ending, and not all of us can come back when we die," Jecht shrugged, reaching up to rub his shoulder. "I don't think anyone wants that fate." Mateus stopped in front of him and sneered.

"So you admit to being here for your own selfish desires," he said. "I wonder what Garland would say were he here now."

"He would point out that we all are here for selfish desires," the Cloud of Darkness whispered, closing her eyes. "It is human nature to exist for self-satisfaction and glory. Hubris and greed can be powerful motivators. They are oft the only ones that matter."

"Thank you for your analysis, my dear," Mateus said, turning his attention to her. "And I am sure you are beyond such things."

"Indeed I am. I existed long before any of you were born and shall endure long after you die, your assorted resurrections not withstanding," the Cloud of Darkness opened her eyes with a small smile. "I am eternal, existing only to return all to nothingness. Lord Chaos has given me a chance to do this and I thus take it. Should I fail it is of no consequence, it is merely a postponement of the inevitable."

"Your only purpose is to wipe out everything?" Jecht asked with a snort. "Sounds like a boring existence, even if it is eternal."

"I am beyond 'boredom' as well. I will concede that my purpose has and will take a great deal of time to fulfill, but I have learned to be patient. There is beauty in the simplicity of nothingness that mortals cannot comprehend. And there is beauty also in existing to make that world a reality. My purpose, Jecht, is one far more grand than any purpose mortals could assign themselves."

"It is true, we mortals cannot see the scope of creation as you can, my dear. We cannot set such lofty goals as you have, but soon that will change," Mateus said, walking between her and Jecht and continuing forward. "When the Crystals become filled with darkness, we will decide our fates, our purposes. The fabric of existence is weaved from threads of destiny, and those threads will be ours to cut and remake as we wish. To be the weavers of the fabric of existence…what greater purpose is there than that?"

"You sure love to hear yourself talk, don't you?" Jecht muttered, glaring slightly. Mateus smiled and closed his eyes.

"Hmph. And you, Jecht?" he called over his shoulder. "When the Crystals are ours, we can remake our worlds to our whim…I wonder, what will you do with your world?" Jecht lowered his eyes to the ground as Mateus turned around. "Will you rebuild your home? Make Zanarkand more than just a dream of a few sleepers? Will you place yourself as ruler of your world, or just a lowly Blitzball star as you were before? And your son, in order for us to take control of the Crystals the Warriors of Cosmos must perish. Your son will have to give his life to see your dream come to fruition Jecht, and what then? Will you revive him to live with you? Assuming he'd want to, with all you've done for him…or should I say _to_ him."

"Why do you care?" Jecht growled. "Stop asking questions you don't want to hear the answers to."

"It's not a matter of wanting to hear the answers, it's wanting to know if you can supply them," Mateus laughed. "But, no matter." Mateus swept back around and began walking away. "You were revived by Chaos to destroy your world. Your life will be sustained when Tidus' is snuffed out. Which, if the plan proceeds properly, will occur shortly once Sephiroth has taken control of Cloud's mind. I suggest you get your emotions in order before that time comes. No matter what end you desire, your task is the same as ours."

"You're doing this to conquer your world. I'm not like you," Jecht said.

"The ends justify the means then...is that what you truly believe? No matter how cruel and harsh you are, it's alright as long as your intentions are noble? I wonder what your son would say to that..." Mateus vanished into one of the shadowed halls leading into the Chaos Shrine, and Jecht fell back into thought, not even noticing the Cloud of Darkness had already vanished sometime beforehand.

* * *

"We called it Jenova, the Calamity from the Sky," Cloud said, walking alongside Terra. Onion Knight was scouting ahead of them in a long, narrow valley covered with trees. Earlier, Terra had noted Cloud's glowing eyes. That had led into an explanation of SOLDIER and Shinra, which had then led into Jenova. "Jenova fell on my planet in a meteor over two thousand years ago, and tried to destroy the planet. It…she…whatever you wanna call it, she failed and was sealed by the Ancients. When Shinra found her remains, they thought she was an Ancient and tried to develop a technique to imbue humans with her powers. That's when SOLDIER began to take shape, as Shinra perfected the technique to infuse their best warriors with her cells and submerge them in Mako energy."

"How horrible," Terra whispered, turning her head away. "And it worked? These 'SOLDIERs' got her powers?"

"Well, I was never really too sure what powers Jenova had to be honest," Cloud said. "SOLDIERs, though, had enhanced speed, strength and stamina above normal humans. They were highly intelligent with great magical abilities, the elite troops of Shinra. I was…an experiment, with an altered version of the SOLDIER process. That's why my eyes glow. The glow is caused by Mako, it's practically a universal sign of SOLDIER."

"All because they thought she was an Ancient…" Terra thought aloud. She let out a small chuckle. "That sounds similar to my world."

"What do you mean?" Cloud asked, turning to her. Terra let out a small sigh and looked up at the sun poking through the trees.

"A thousand years ago in my world, three gods called the Warring Triad descended to the planet and began a great war called the War of the Magi. The humans that got caught in the crossfire were transformed into biological war machines, magical beasts called Espers. When the war ended, the Triad sealed themselves in stone and the Esper fled with them to another world. Espers, magic and the war faded into myth." Terra closed her eyes and hesitated before continuing.

"Then the Gestahlian Empire found the portal to the Esper dimension. They kidnapped dozens of Espers and took them back to their capital. They developed a process of draining live Espers of their magical energies and infusing humans and eventually machines with them. The machines became universally known as Magitek, and the Empire's elite troops were the Magitek Knights, humans who could use magic. It was thanks to their exclusive access to Espers and magic power that the Empire began to conquer the world."

"Wow…" Cloud said. "And you were one?"

"Huh?" Terra looked up at him. Cloud met her gaze and shrugged.

"You said earlier you could use magic. You were one of their Magitek Knights then?"

"I…" Terra thought quickly. If she said no, then Cloud would want to know how it was she could use magic without Magitek techniques. She'd have to tell him who and what she really was, where she came from…Terra quickly quashed that idea. Cloud didn't need to know about her Esper abilities, there was no reason for him too. Besides, she didn't want to tell him anyway. "Yes…I was one of the first Magitek Knights once the process became refined," Terra lied. "That's how I got my power, until I escaped the Empire and joined the resistance. Because I was one of their top warriors they sent soldiers to pursue me at first, but I guess later on I just wasn't a priority anymore."

"Hm…" Cloud fell back into thought after that. The similarities in their stories were indeed striking. He cast Terra a glance to see her staring at the ground in thought. Why did she seem so familiar to him? The déjà vu feeling kept pulling on the back of his mind, it had ever since they'd first met two days ago. They'd been relatively uneventful days, thankfully no Crystelle and only a few roaming monsters. The rest of the day Cloud had met Terra had been spent exploring Midgar, then the group headed out beyond the wasteland. The wasteland had ended sharply at a series of trees and canyons that they'd spent all of yesterday traveling through. Cloud had noticed a few tracks here and there that seemed to be Chocobo tracks worn into the dirt, but like most other non-malicious animals Chocobos had been lost in the cataclysm.

Onion Knight, Terra's other companion, had been an interesting person to speak to. He was young, Cloud wasn't sure of his precise age, but he didn't look any older than Yuffie had been, probably younger. He was energetic and eager but managed to curb it a good deal. He had asked Cloud a lot of questions that first day, a few Cloud would expect from anyone – what type of sword that was on his back, who he was, where he came from, what his world was like. He'd fielded similar questions from his other comrades when he met them. Terra, however…

She hadn't asked him much more beyond her questions when they met in the church. Onion Knight had done the asking, Cloud had done the answering, and he noticed Terra doing the listening and watching out of the corner of his eye. He wasn't an overly curious or nosy person by any stretch of the imagination, but Terra intrigued him and he found himself wanting to learn more about her. The feelings of familiarity aside, she seemed so mysterious. Cloud was perfectly aware that the latter made no sense given the former, which made even less sense, but that was how it was nonetheless. One thing that was particularly odd was that she could use magic. As he had learned from Cecil and Firion, the inhabitants of many other worlds had innate magical abilities, but Terra's magic wasn't entirely innate, it was extracted from another being, which Cloud hadn't heard of before.

_"Who is she…"_ Cloud thought, watching her. A seemingly simple question, but Cloud already suspected the answer was considerably more complex. She had told him a bit about herself, and did it willingly when he prompted her. Still, he couldn't shake the feeling there was something she was leaving out…he didn't want to pry into whatever secrets she may have been keeping, so he decided to let her keep them. He doubted it was something bad, so what harm was there?

"So what happened that the Empire fell from power?" Cloud asked, deciding to go with what was likely a relatively safer topic. Terra turned to him, and her eyes went wide.

"Down!" she cried, lunging sideways and tackling him to the ground. Cloud grunted as he landed on his side, and turned over to see a tree crash to the ground from behind him. Terra sat up behind him, and Cloud scowled as he saw the cause of the attack.

"A Crystelle," he muttered, climbing to his feet. The pale blue imitation was staring blankly at them. Cosmos had warned them about the Crystelles. When the cataclysm occurred, the Crystals each pulled in the living from their respective worlds to try and maintain their light from the darkness of Chaos. But it was a losing battle, and little by little the light within the Crystals turned dark.

The Crystelles were a product of that unrelenting corruption. Born of the light shed by the Crystals as they weakened, the Crystelles held within them the memories of those who once held the light – in essence, those who had been alive when the cataclysm occurred. The colored automations took on the appearance of those humans, and occasionally animals. As Cosmos had explained it, destroying a Crystelle liberated its light to return to the Crystal, even if that light was to be corrupted again. But because they were born from Crystals corrupted with darkness, even as beings of light the Crystelles were just mindless puppet warriors in servitude to Chaos' minions.

"There's only one, normally Crystelles travel in packs," Terra thought aloud, getting up behind Cloud. Cloud smirked and reached over his shoulder to grab the handle of the Buster Sword.

"Yeah, well if this one wants to be a lone wolf, it's his funeral," he replied, bringing the broadsword forward. The Crystelle tilted its head back and roared.

"Guuuuuuuys!" Cloud turned his head as Onion Knight ran down the path ahead, panting. "Big problem!" he called. Cloud and Terra looked past him to see a colored blob of red, yellow and blue coming up behind him. Cloud's shoulders slumped, and he let out a sigh.

"Figures," he muttered. There was a roar, and Cloud turned his head back and jumped back as the Crystelle dived towards him, slamming a fist into the ground. Cloud landed and jumped back forward, swinging the Buster Sword over his head. The Crystelle roared again as it was bisected from shoulder to hip. The two halves slid to the ground and shattered into particles of light.

Terra brought her hand back over her shoulder and flung her hand out, five orbs of light appearing in front of her and shooting forward, pale purple streams trailing behind her. The orbs slammed into the ground in front of the charging Crystelle, and cries of rage filled the air as several shattered in the wake of the hit. Onion Knight skidded to a halt between Cloud and Terra and turned around, gasping for breath.

"There's a lot of them," Terra murmured.

"Crystelles are big, dumb and destructive," Onion Knight replied, drawing his sword.

"As opposed to little, smart and meek?" Cloud asked, giving him a coy look.

"Exact…hey!" Onion Knight glared up at him, and Cloud smiled. "This from the guy with the sword bigger than he is! Time to show ya that size ain't everything!" Onion Knight charged forward, and Cloud followed. The front few Crystelles raised their weapons, and Cloud swung the Buster Sword into the ground, sending out a wave of green-blue energy. Three Crystelles exploded on contact with the beam, others diving out of the way.

"Duck!" Terra called, running forward, holding her palms apart. Onion Knight looked over his shoulder at the ball of orange energy charging between her hands, and pulled Cloud down. Terra cried out and flung her hands out, a large fireball bursting from her hands and bowling down another line of enemies. Cloud and Onion Knight looked up to see the survivors already up and moving towards them again.

"Big, dumb, destructive…add persistent and numerous to the list," Onion Knight grumbled. Two Crystelle leapt at Cloud, and he rolled to the side, avoiding one blade and lifting the Buster Sword to block a second. Onion Knight leapt up, slamming his sword through a Crystelle's head, and jumping off to a second, slicing as he went to shatter the first Crystelle's head and leave it to crumble to the ground.

Terra jumped up and held up her hands, several small fireballs raining down on the horde. Two dove through the air at her, and Terra snapped out a hand and fired a block of ice, halting both and them and knocking them into the ground. She landed and slammed her hands into the dirt. A torrent of water burst forth from the ground, sending no less than eight Crystelles flying into the air, breaking into particles of light upon impact.

Cloud grunted and parried a sword aimed at his head, and spun and landed a kick, knocking a Crystelle back. He lifted the Buster Sword and froze as he looked at the Crystelle. They were always uniform in color; this one was bright red. And they didn't have any true distinguishing features, their eyes, hair, skin and clothes were all made from the same semi-transparent crystal-like substance. Still, this Crystelle…Cloud remembered Cosmos' words, that the Crystelles based their appearances on the memories of the living from before the cataclysm. This one was tall and skinny, with spiked hair and a short ponytail held stiffly against its back. A small, round rod was held in its right hand as its weapon. Cloud blinked, it couldn't be…

"Reno?" Cloud whispered. The Crystelle looked up at Cloud as it climbed to its feet, and for a brief moment he thought the being recognized him. Then reality sank in as the Reno-Crystelle shrieked in the guttural, inhuman warbling that all of them seemed to have as a voice, and swung its rod towards him. Cloud blocked the blow and grunted heavily as the Reno-Crystelle landed a kick in his stomach, knocking him backwards. Cloud looked up as it jumped into the air, rod held overhead…

And blew up in a blast of fire.

Cloud shielded his eyes from the heat and tilted his head back to see Terra standing over him.

"Careful," she advised, reaching down and pulling him up. Cloud looked back at the Crystelle horde, thinner but still vast, and put the Reno incident aside.

"Any ideas to end this? We can't fight forward and I'm getting tired," he said.

"Can you get them all clumped together?" Terra asked, magical energy crackling between her fingertips. Cloud nodded. "Alright then. Onion Knight, get back!" she called. Onion Knight turned his head from firing a shard of ice, and ran towards her, tripping to the ground with a gasp of surprise. The Crystelles charged, and Cloud held the Buster Sword over his shoulder. The sword glowed with a golden aura, and Cloud cried out and swung it forward. A large whirlwind whipped out from the blade, and the Crystelles cried out as one by one they were drawn into it. Terra's face turned stern, and she held out her hands. Blue energy appeared over her arms, and Cloud watched as an orb of bright blue energy appeared in the center of the tornado, growing brighter and larger, the Crystelles circling around it.

"Ultima!" Terra cried, slamming her hands together. The orb of energy suddenly contracted and exploded in a flash. Cloud squinted and lifted a hand to shield his eyes. When the light subsided, Cloud lowered his hand to see the Crystelles gone, particles of light filling the air. Several trees had their tops or pieces of their trunks missing, just vanished. Onion Knight turned onto his back and lifted his helmet from his eyes. He scanned the destruction and let out a low whistle.

"Whoa…" he muttered, looking at the cleared-out forest. "You have got to teach me that one sometime, Terra." He smirked and ran forward, lifting a hand to examine the light particles hanging in the air. Terra looked up at Cloud as he caught his breath from the excertion of his attack.

"You okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm good," Cloud replied, returning the Buster Sword to its holder. "Thanks."

"What happened there?" Terra continued. "You said something to that Crystelle…what was it?" Cloud closed his eyes and sighed.

"You know what Crystelles are, right?" he asked.

"Yes, Cosmos told me. They're born from the light the Crystals give off. Why?" Terra said.

"They also take on the appearance of people. That Crystelle…it looked like someone I knew is all. That hasn't happened before," Cloud explained, opening his eyes.

"Oh…a friend?"

"Well…kinda, I guess. He and I fought more than a couple times, but in the end…yeah, he and his buddies were friends. Allies, if nothing else. To see a Crystelle that looked like him…" Cloud trailed off, and Terra nodded slowly.

"I understand…but it wasn't him. The Crystelles are just automations, mindless soldiers…they aren't sentient, not human," she said softly.

"I know. It didn't recognize me, I know it wasn't Reno. Still…it was a bit off-putting."

"Hey!" Onion Knight called from ahead. "You gonna stand there talking or are we gonna keep moving?"

"He's right, let's go," Terra said, walking forward. Cloud nodded and followed her, the three falling into a group again as they continued on. Onion Knight sighed and shook his head.

"Hopefully we can get outta this forest by night, it can't go on forever," he complained. Terra smiled.

"Great, now you've gone and jinxed it."

"Ah, shut up."

* * *

"Then we're agreed," Kuja nodded, folding his arms. "Firion, Tidus and Cecil have too many complications attached, Squall and Bartz are too strong, Hikari likewise, and Zidane is mine. Then there's only one group left."

"Indeed," Sephiroth nodded. "It makes more than one kind of sense. Between Cloud and Terra, we already command the greatest influence over their group over any of them."

"Uh, yeah, slight problem," Kefka mumbled. "I ain't taking out Terra just yet, I'm still having fun with her. And the less-cute blond with the head problems is your turf Sephy, so we gotta go for the kid. Not a lot of choice there if ya ask me."

"The next time you call me that, you'll find yourself missing an arm," Sephiroth growled. Kefka rolled his eyes.

"Yeesh, touchy touchy. I'm just saying, we can't attack Terra or Cloud, so we gotta take out the Onion Knight."

"The Onion Knight?" Three heads turned as a dark violet portal appeared on the floor of the Chaos Shrine, and the Cloud of Darkness floated up from it, a smile on her lips. "I do hope you weren't planning to exclude me in this plan then," she whispered, the portal vanishing underneath her feet.

"Not at all, my dear," Kuja replied. "We were just about to call you to discuss it."

"By all means, then," the Cloud of Darkness said, floating closer, "let's discuss. I've been looking forward to seeing the blood of the child spill."

"Yeah, that's my favorite part too," Kefka grinned. "Let's get to work."


	7. Betrayal

Shards of Memory

Chapter 7

Betrayal

_"_**_With friends like these, who needs enemies?"_ – **Old English proverb.

* * *

"Looks like it'll be dark soon," Onion Knight mused, looking up at the sky. Cloud followed his gazed to see the sun hanging right in the center of the sky.

"How can you tell?" Cloud asked. "That sun never moves right, sometimes it moves too fast or not at all. There's no way you could tell the time by looking at it."

"Sure there is, it's an educated guess," Onion Knight said. Terra let out a soft chuckle behind them as the three walked across the hilly green friends. The forest had thankfully come to an end that morning, leaving them in lush green countryside. There were a few pits that looked artificially dug out here and there, leading to cave mouths that they had decided not to risk exploring. None of them had recognized this place, so Cloud had assumed it to be from another world none of them had come from. Which was fine, the plains were eye pleasing and there seemed to be no Crystelles or monsters around.

"Well we can't tell for sure, so we'd best keep moving for now," Cloud said. "That mountain up ahead should be a good place to explore tomorrow, we should make it to the base by night."

"Oh, listen to Mr. High And Mighty," Onion Knight sniffed. "Who died and made you the boss?"

"Cloud's right, Onion Knight," Terra said. "We should try and cover as much ground as possible. The presence Cloud and I sense is far away, and it may be a Crystal. We should try and get there as quickly as we can."

"Gang up the kid why don't ya," Onion Knight picked up the pace and marched ahead of them, grumbling under his breath. Terra shook her head and smiled.

"He'll act like such a child one moment, and a brave knight the next," she thought aloud. "He _is_ trustworthy though. We've been through a lot of battles together."

"I'll bet," Cloud nodded. "There was a girl like that in my world. She didn't always act courageous…or trustworthy even."

"What did she do?" Terra asked. Cloud scowled slightly as he remembered the difficult going through the Wutai wilderness, made more difficult by their impaired abilities. That had not been an enjoyable trip, no Materia to fight with, or to heal injuries, which there were more of since fighting was harder. The bitter herbal taste of the Potions they'd been forced to rely on had been stuck in his mouth for a week afterward.

"She stole our Materia and ran off with it," he replied. "We had to track her down and practically strong-arm her into giving it back."

"Materia…that's those glowing orbs you have with you, right?" Terra turned her head towards Cloud. "The ones you said let the people on your world use magic."

"Yeah, that's it," Cloud nodded, reaching into a satchel on his belt. He withdrew one of the three Materia orbs he had with him, this one Fire, and held it in front of him. The normally shimmering Materia was dull in color. As Cloud had discovered early in this world, Materia was much weaker than he was used to. "They take their power from the Lifestream, so with the cataclysm they're not at potent as they are normally, but yeah, they can cast magic."

"So why did she steal them?

"Long story, one I personally never bought. She said Materia was outlawed in her country, and she wanted it to help restore their reputation. But even years after our quest she was obsessed with it. Yuffie was always sneaky…" Cloud smiled slightly as he remembered the battle with Sephiroth's avatars, and the twisted incarnation of Bahamut they had summoned to destroy Edge. "But when it came down to it, she came and fought to save the world. We weren't exactly the most likely groups of allies you could think of, but we still all come to each other's aid when we need it. We're a team, all of us. Even the ones that like to swipe the team's items and run for it." Cloud let out a small chuckle that Terra shared in. "In the end, we all have something to fight for, and we can all count on each other."

"I understand exactly how you feel," Terra nodded. "My allies were like that too. We all stuck together through the worst of things and fought to protect each other. We didn't always get along, but when it came time to fight we were there." She lowered her head and let out a breath. "But in the end, I still felt so alone sometimes. I was the only…" Terra stopped herself from saying 'half-Esper', "the only Magitek Knight in our group for a long time, before we met Celes. No one else knew what I was going through."

"Hm," Cloud nodded, pocketing the Materia orb between his fingertips. "Yeah, that sounds familiar. We all traveled together, but it was my goal, my grudge, my vendetta to settle. I had chosen to pursue Sephiroth and get vengeance for the destruction of my home. I wouldn't rest until I had tracked him down and taken him out…then after a while I realized how selfish I was being. It wasn't just my fight, but everyone's, for the sake of the planet."

"Sounds a lot like him…" Terra thought aloud.

"Huh?" Cloud turned his head towards her. "A lot like who?"

"Locke, a friend of mine," Terra explained. "He was like that, once. He was searching desperately for something, something personal, but once he got it…he told me it was what he wanted, but he realized it wasn't what he needed. He had gotten that a long time ago…"

"Locke…was he like, a boyfriend-type friend?" Cloud asked. Terra blushed and shook her head.

"No, nothing like that, he loved someone else, a couple of someone elses actually. I loved him as a friend though…" Terra kept walking with Onion Knight. Cloud shrugged. He wasn't sure why he had asked, it wasn't his business, and besides…

_"Just like him."_

Cloud's eye twitched and he stopped, wincing at the flash headache that had come from nowhere. He blinked rapidly, and looked up to see Terra turn to stare at him with bright green eyes. Cloud's vision began to swim and he stumbled back a step.

"Cloud?"

_"The same as who?"_

Cloud let out a cry and dropped to his knees, clutching the sides of his head. His eyes squeezed shut, a flash of light going off behind his eyelids.

_"My boyfriend." _

_"You were…"_

_"I liked him for a while…"_

"Cloud!"

The light faded behind his eyes, and the headache receded. Cloud lifted his head and opened his eyes to see Terra kneeling in front of him, a look of concern on her face. Several feet behind her, Onion Knight was staring too. Cloud calmed his rapidly beating heart and lowered his eyes, breathing heavily.

"Are you okay?" Terra asked. Cloud nodded and stood up.

"Yeah, I'm fine…" he muttered. "Just got a bit of a headache is all."

"You sure?" Terra repeated.

"Yeah…just need a good night's rest is all…" Cloud lifted his head as Terra stood. "Don't worry about me, let's keep going." Cloud began walking, Onion Knight turning and moving forward after a moment. Cloud heard Terra begin to move behind him, and decided he had done a decent job of avoiding what had happened.

Come to think of it, what _had_ happened? Cloud wasn't quite sure, he was telling the truth about the headache though. There was a flash of a conversation, then a bright light, then pain. Whatever it was, it had been triggered by what Terra said. Their conversation about this 'Locke' person seemed familiar…was that what it was? A memory?

_"That makes no sense," _Cloud thought, narrowing his eyes. _"Unless…it was one of those memories I've forgotten. That didn't sound like the voice from the dreams, though…so…"_ Cloud thought about that for a moment. Another memory he'd forgotten and couldn't recall. A memory Terra had unknowingly brought to the surface, if only for a moment. But it wasn't like just remembering, this had actually hurt. Like something was keeping the full force of the memory buried…Cloud furrowed his brow and growled slightly. He hated feeling confused and helpless like this. He had enough problems with Sephiroth and the other Warriors of Chaos, he didn't need to deal with headaches and hallucinations.

_"Speaking of which…" _Cloud turned his head to look over his shoulder. Terra had her eyes downcast, staring at the ground as she followed behind him. A moment after he turned, she looked up to meet his gaze, and Cloud turned back around. _"That's what I thought…blue eyes. Not green, blue…" _Cloud shook his head to clear his thoughts. _"I'm hearing things and seeing things…great, what next?"_

_

* * *

_"Are we ready?" the Cloud of Darkness whispered.

"They'll be in position within the hour," Sephiroth nodded. "We're all competent enough to complete our assigned tasks?"

"Yeah yeah yeah," Kefka muttered, locking his fingers together and stretching them out. "Just stand back and watch me work. You two focus on getting big, blond and boring away long enough for me to work the magic on her."

"As if I would fall to such an insolent little pest," Kuja said. "The little cretin is just a prelude to my magnum opus."

"Planning something?" The four villains turned their heads as Golbez walked out from one of the darkened halls leading deeper into the Chaos Shrine, overlooking them from the ledge about their heads. "Isn't this inspiring, four people like you putting aside your differences to work together…" Golbez chuckled, crossing his arms. "What little schemes are you brewing this time?"

"You tell us, Golbez," Kuja replied, tossing a stray lock of hair out of his eyes, "you always seem to know what's going on here without being told."

"We all have to acquire our information somewhere," Golbez said, carefully leaping down to the floor. "Care to answer me?"

"Certainly," Sephiroth nodded. "Before the sun rises tomorrow, the Onion Knight shall be captured and ours to exterminate, leaving Cloud and Terra alone and at our whims."

"With no distractions, our work with them can proceed a lot faster," Kefka sneered, rubbing his hands together. "We move out once they stop for the night. We've got everything covered to get the kid away from them and leave them weakened and confused."

"I see," Golbez said. "My compliments to you all, for actually doing something productive with one another. It's good to know you _can_ play nice with others."

"Cooperation is a natural tool for dealing with a threat greater than you can handle on your own," the Cloud of Darkness replied. "Why ought we not band together to ensure success than stand apart and risk defeat?"

"To be perfectly honest, my dear? Arrogance and incompetence."

"Qualities you'll find quite lacking about here," Kuja sniffed.

"I'm sure," Golbez chuckled. "And once the child is captured, what then?"

"We take him out, naturally," Kefka said. "Miss. Darkness here is all ready for it."

"Indeed. I've dealt with the child before, to defeat him will be a simple task," the Cloud of Darkness whispered.

"What about the others? Cloud and Terra are strong, perhaps stronger than the boy. They may prove more challenging."

"You don't give us enough credit, Golbez," Kuja said. "The girl will be incapacitated once we are done, and Cloud will have his hands full sparring with me. I'll be keeping him busy until Kefka is done his…manipulations."

"Manipulations?" Golbez asked, frowning inside his helmet. "Exactly what is it you lot are planning?"

"It's simple," Sephiroth said. "I'll lure Cloud away, then Kuja will distract him and keep him occupied. Meanwhile, Kefka will use his control over Terra's powers to force her to transform into her Esper form, causing her to lose control and attack her companion. When the dust has settled, we will claim the Onion Knight and leave Cloud to find Terra in her rage. The two of them will weaken each other enough for Kefka and myself to take control of them."

Golbez's frowned deepened. This wasn't part of his plans, he hadn't factored the separation of the Onion Knight and Terra into the grand scheme. Quite the opposite, the child gave Terra much-needed stability. He hadn't orchestrated their meeting for the sake of his health, that child gave the woman an anchor to keep her weighted to her past. Without the child to provide her that anchor there was no telling what course Kefka could send her down with his scheming. He could well likely send her spiraling into a pit of despair and power. This, Golbez could not allow. It was not yet time for Terra or Cloud to take their roles in his plan, until then, he needed them acting of their own wills.

"Are you certain that this is the best course of action?" Golbez asked. He had to dissuade them, this plan of theirs might actually work and he couldn't let that happen. Kuja scowled and opened his mouth to reply, when the Cloud of Darkness held up her hands and closed her eyes. "What is it?" Golbez asked.

"They're decided where to stop," she whispered, focusing on some vision only she could see. "They're going to settle down for the night at the base of a mountain. We have their location now. It's time to get into position."

"Lovely," Kefka grinned. "Sorry Golby, that's our cue. Gotta fly!" Kefka let out a snicker as he was enveloped in an orb of dark violet energy, vanishing in a crackle of electricity.

"Irritating clown…" Sephiroth snorted and crossed his arms, vanishing as well. The Cloud of Darkness closed her eyes and lowered into a portal in the floor that appeared beneath her feet. Kuja let out a small chuckle and nodded towards Golbez.

"Wish us luck, comrade," he said, bowing as he vanished in another flash of dark energy. Golbez let out a small growl and slammed his armored fist into his palm.

"Damn," he muttered. This was a potential disaster. His plan hinged on Terra and Cloud not yet succumbing to the wiles of their respective enemies for some time. He didn't care about the Onion Knight, he was nothing but for a tool to help shape Terra's path the way he preferred. He had to stop this scheme of theirs from fruition. But he couldn't interfere directly, he needed his supposed alliance with Sephiroth for information on Cloud, he couldn't jeopardize that. Golbez thought quickly. He'd either have to find another way to stop them, or he'd have to find a new method to acquire information on Sephiroth's influences over Cloud. And right now no true alternatives to either were presenting themselves. Damn…

"I miss something?" Golbez lifted his head as Jecht emerged from a hall, walking to the edge of the platform overlooking the main shrine. "I heard talking, something happening?" Jecht asked, setting his sword against a stone pillar.

"It is of no concern to…" Golbez stopped himself, synapses firing in his mind. He looked up as Jecht gave him a strange look, a slow smile crossing his face. An alternative had just made itself known: Jecht. Jecht was a bit of a wild card, not unlike him, and he wouldn't care one way or the other about angering Sephiroth or Kuja. And it would be in his interests to interfere with Sephiroth's manipulations of Cloud. Golbez weighed his options and formulated a new plan. Yes, Jecht would do quite nicely. Of course, it wasn't likely the man would take a direct order. Golbez would simply have to be more clandestine about it then. Fortunately he was well versed in such things.

"Actually, yes," Golbez nodded. "It appears our 'allies' finally decided to do something productive besides sit around wallowing in their own greatness."

"Oh really?" Jecht muttered, sitting down on the edge of the platform with his legs over the edge. "What's that?" Golbez thought for a moment. He'd had to play this particular hand of lies and truth carefully, if he wanted the intended result. Well, all hands entered play with a single card to start.

"Sephiroth is furthering his plans to take control of Cloud," Golbez said. "Kuja is to battle the boy and weaken him, while Kefka uses his control over Terra to make her fight the Onion Knight. Then she will battle Cloud, and in their weakness Kefka and Sephiroth can take full control over their minds."

"Yeah?" Jecht asked, looking down at the floor and frowning. "Good for them."

"You…approve of Sephiroth's schemes?" Golbez said, laying down his next card. "I'm a bit surprised at you."

"Why's that?" Jecht lifted his head, taking the bait.

"You know full well what he plans to do once he has Cloud under his control. Cecil, Tidus and Firion will die by his hand," Golbez said, repeating what he already knew Jecht knew. "I thought you wanted Tidus to yourself?"

"It ain't my place," Jecht muttered, turning away. "If the pretty boys want to take him out, it doesn't matter to me. He's my son, but in the end he's gotta die one way or the other." Golbez let out an inner laugh. Jecht was many things, but a convincing liar wasn't one of them. He could work with that.

"I personally find the entire plan rather troublesome, needlessly so," he made a show of sighing and shaking his head. "Kuja is resting to save his energy for Zidane. If they would send someone stronger after Cloud, they could eliminate him outright. It's not as if we don't have alternatives for the other three, I don't understand why they'd pass up a perfectly fine opportunity to finish Cloud off. I personally wonder if it's because Kuja simply isn't strong enough."

"He's plenty tough, he'd have to be to do what he says he's done," Jecht replied. Golbez smiled. Already he could sense the gears in Jecht's mind beginning to turn. One final play, then, to make sure his plans had been laid perfectly.

"I suppose, but strong enough for Cloud? I doubt it, especially since he's supposed to be resting. I think they'd be better off finding someone willing to go all out against Cloud," Golbez watched as Jecht's eyes narrowed slightly, the man going off in thought. "But then, it's their scheme, not mine nor yours. Let them keep Cloud alive, it's not as if it'll be us they use to attack him with." Golbez turned and walked up the ramp of the main hall.

That had gone well, perfectly he could almost say. Well, that may have been a stretch, this hand was his, but only this one. The next hand was Jecht's to play, and Golbez had no direct control over him. But he had played his hand well, and he knew Jecht was a man of action. He had no doubt what sort of action he would take. Golbez stopped and looked over his shoulder. Jecht was still staring at the ground, lost in thought. Golbez smirked.

"_It's your move. Even if you don't realize it."_

_

* * *

_The sound of the tree trunk slamming into the ground echoed up the mountain slopes above as Cloud cleaved the foliage apart. With the tree lying on the ground, Cloud drew the Buster Sword back over his head and slammed it down twice, cutting a three-foot log from the rest. He stood back and huffed, sticking out his boot and rolling it away from the rest of the tree to where Terra and Onion Knight were waiting.

"We have firewood," Cloud announced, returning the Buster Sword to its holder. Terra smiled and knelt down, holding out her hands. Her skin pulsed, and a small blast of flame shot out to the log, lighting it. "Sure, you get the easy part," Cloud grumbled. Terra giggled slightly and sat down cross-legged by the flaming log. The sun had begun to set on the horizon, and the trio had stopped at the base of the mountain they had been striving to reach. They had agreed to rest there for the night, and explore the mountain and whatever may be beyond it in the morning.

"We need something to eat though," Onion Knight said, kneeling down beside Terra. "I haven't eaten in more than a day, and it doesn't seem like there's any monsters around here to snack on."

"I'm hungry too," Terra said. "We should look around for something to eat, there has to be something edible around."

"Yeah, we…" Cloud trailed off and furrowed his brow. He turned his head to look around the site, but his companions didn't notice. He felt like someone was calling his name. Which was absurd, of course, he hadn't heard anything and no one else had either. Still, he felt it…

"Well, you guys handled the fire, I could look for food," Onion Knight offered. "I don't think there's any Crystelles around here so I should be okay."

"That sounds like a good idea," Terra said. "Okay, Cloud?" she looked up at the blond to see him staring up at the mountain with a strange look on his face. "Cloud?"

"Yeah?" he murmured, not looking at her.

"Do you want Onion Knight to look for food?" she asked, growing concerned. Cloud slowly shook his head.

"No…no it's okay. I'll go," he replied. "I sense something on that mountain, there may be something there. I'll check it out, look for food on the way."

"Do you want us to go with you?" Terra asked, standing up. "If there is something there you shouldn't go alone." Cloud finally broke out of his daze and shook his head again.

"No, I'll be fine. I'll just take a look and come back, I won't be long," he said, turning towards Terra. "You two stay here, I'll be back." He turned and walked up to the winding dirt and grass path leading up the mountain. Terra watched him go, a worried look on her face.

"Did he seem alright to you?" she asked. Onion Knight sat in front of the fire and rubbed his hands together in the dimming light from the horizon.

"As compared to normal?" he replied, scrunching up his face. "Not really. Seemed a little spaced there, but we all get like that. He's probably got something on his mind is all, let him go off and think and he'll be fine."

"I guess so," Terra said, lifting a hand to her forehead and sighing. Onion Knight lifted his eyes from his hands to look over the fire at her.

"What about you, you okay?" he asked. Terra lowered her hand and nodded.

"Yes, I'm alright. Just have a little bit of a headache is all."

* * *

Sephiroth opened his eyes and smirked.

"He heard my call and has answered," he said. "He's coming, the girl and the boy are staying at the camp."

"Perfect," Kefka sneered. "Your show now, pretty boy."

"I aim to please," Kuja said, bowing. "And you?"

"I'll be getting a front-row seat further down the mountain, I don't wanna miss this show!" Kefka laughed. "The lady in red is already in position to move in once they're done beating the crap out of each other."

"I'll be heading back to the shrine, my presence here is no longer required," Sephiroth said. "Remember Kuja, you need only distract Cloud. I don't an injured puppet to control when you're done with him."

"I'm not incompetent, thank you," Kuja sniffed. "I remember the plan perfectly well. I'm more than capable of keeping that cretin busy until the finale. You two have played your parts well, now stand back and let me play mine."

"As you wish," Sephiroth closed his eyes and vanished in a burst of dark energy. Kefka grinned and gave Kuja a four-fingered wave as he followed suit. Kuja rolled his eyes and turned his attention to the small area below where the mountain flattened out into a small clearing. The ledge he was currently on was hidden in the shadows behind the sun, giving him a perfect vantage point to ambush Cloud when he appeared. There was a crackling behind him, and Kuja narrowed his eyes at the sensation of a dark portal opening behind him.

"Come to wish me luck, I suppose," he muttered distastefully.

"Not exactly," a gruff voice replied. Kuja whirled his head around in time to see a black sword swing from the darkness behind him. The flat of the blade slammed into the side of his head, and he pitched to the side and crumpled to the ground.

* * *

Cloud's boot crunched on the rocks and pebbles dotting the path as he climbed higher. The feeling he had sensed before had vanished, but he had to know the source. He turned the corner of the rock face on the left side of the path and came upon a small, flat area, the walls of rock rising high above it. The path ended here. Cloud stepped into the clearing and looked around the edges for any sign of what had called him here.

"About time."

Cloud's hand snapped over his shoulder to the handle of the Buster Sword, and he turned. A man landed behind him in a crouching position, his hand on the hilt of a wide, black sword. The man stood up and rotated his arms a few times, leaving his sword stuck in the dirt beside him.

"And you are?" Cloud asked. The man smirked and pounded a fist on his chest.

"Sir Jecht, star player of the Zanarkand Abes," he grinned. "And you're Cloud…nice sword. I think mine's a bit bigger though," Jecht reached out and tapped the hilt of his sword.

"Looks like it," Cloud said dryly, relaxing his grip on his sword. "So, you're the infamous Jecht."

"You've heard of me, have ya?" Jecht smiled, crossing his arms.

"Tidus talked about you a lot."

"Oh yeah? What did the runt say about me?"

"In as many words, that you're an old drunk with a big head," Cloud said. Jecht let out a laugh.

"Yeah," he said, shaking his head in amusement. "That sounds like my boy."

"You fight on Chaos' side. You're one of the evil ones I'm here to defeat," Cloud accused. Jecht sighed, his smile and amusement vanishing.

"Evil? That what ya think?" he asked quietly. "Tidus never did tell you the whole story, did he?"

"He just told me that you were a lousy father and became a destructive monster," Cloud replied. Jecht closed his eyes.

"Yeah…that sounds like my boy…" he repeated. "He never was all that bright sometimes…it ain't that simple, kid, though I wish it was. But what is that simple, really? When you've seen the things I've seen…done the things I've done, ya find out good and evil ain't so abstract. Ever heard the saying 'cruel to be kind'?"

"Did you come here just to preach about morality?" Cloud asked, narrowing his eyes. "Save it, I don't need to hear it."

"Nah, you don't, and I didn't come here to tell it to ya either," Jecht shook his head. "I came here to do my boy a favor. Not that he'll appreciate what I'm gonna do for him, but he never really did."

"What are you talking about?" Cloud said. Jecht gave him a small glare.

"You're a dangerous kid. You know that, I'm sure, we both know you're a real toughie. But the fact is you're more dangerous than you realize. You're a danger to yourself, a danger to your friends, and a danger to the Crystals. You're on a path of self-destruction and you don't even realize it."

"What do you mean?"

"Sephiroth," Jecht said simply. Cloud narrowed his eyes. "He's plotting against ya, right now. Who the hell do you think it was that called you here?"

"Sephiroth…" Cloud whispered. "So that's it? You came here to help me?"

"Nah," Jecht said. "I don't fully understand what it is he's planning for ya, and don't really care. The fact is you're a danger to your own cause. The best thing you could do for the Crystals and Cosmos, right now, is lie down."

"So that's it," Cloud huffed. "You came here to tell me to back off. I don't think so."

"I didn't expect ya to go quietly," Jecht admitted. "That's fine…been a while since I've had some action." Jecht cracked his neck to the side and grabbed the hilt of his sword. Cloud scowled and drew the Buster Sword over his head, the metal clanging slightly as he held it out in front of him. "If ya won't lie down," Jecht said, drawing his sword from the dirt, "then I'll put ya down."

"Bring it on," Cloud replied. Jecht forced a small smile and shrugged.

"Sorry kid, really. Nothing personal," he said. And with that, Jecht swung his sword behind his shoulders and ran forward.

* * *

"I hope Cloud finds something up there," Onion Knight grumbled, rubbing his fist over his helmet. He had taken off the headgear to polish it slightly, noting with dismay a few clumps of dirt caught in the ornate swirls of the helmet's design. "I'm starving down here," he finished, reaching up to clean the dirt away. On the other side of the fire, cross-legged, Terra clenched her eyes shut and reached up with both hands to clutch her temples.

"Y-yeah…" she whispered, gritting her teeth. The headache had become a migraine, sending pain shooting through her skull and down the rest of her body. Onion Knight turned his attention to her and frowned.

"You sure you're okay? You don't look okay," he said. Terra lowered her hand to the fire to warm them in the chilling air.

"I just have a real bad headache is all," she replied, opening her eyes. The pulsing and undulating flames of the fire did nothing to quell the pain, even antagonized it more. Still, the glow was nice, and made her hands feel warm. Terra pulled back her hand, and gasped. The glow was still there, the heat growing hotter. Her eyes went wide.

"So, if we can't climb the mountain tomorrow," Onion Knight asked, lowering his head and sliding his helmet back on, "where do we go?" Terra pulled her other hand in front of her eyes as she noticed the same heat in her palm, and began to pant. Both had the same glowing pink-purple aura over them. Her hands shook, and it was then Terra realized what was happening. She pushed aside the heat, the pain and focused and sent out her senses to the landscape around them. She felt what she knew she would find, and jumped to her feet.

"He's here," she hissed, stumbling away from the fire. Onion Knight looked up at her and stood up.

"What, what's going on!?" he cried. Terra lifted her hands in front of her, the aura looking like fire itself as it traveled up her arms and down the rest of her body. "Oh no…" Onion Knight whispered, running in front of her. "W-why, there's aren't any enemies around!"

"Kefka…he…" Terra let out a cry of agony and clutched her head, her fingertips digging into her hair. "Go, get out of here!" she yelled. "I can't stop it!"

"No way, I can't leave you like this!"

"Can't…go!" Terra fell to her knees and let out a scream. The aura around her flared up, and a shockwave of energy pulsed across the landscape. Onion Knight cried out as the wave knocked him onto his back, continuing beyond and rolling the firewood around on the grass, the blaze extinguishing. Onion Knight groaned and sat up, pushing up the visor of his helmet. He looked up and gulped at the sight of the glowing, floating, fully-transformed Esper hovering over him in the pre-dusk light, eyes blazing red.

"Oh no…" he whispered, scrambling back. Terra floated silently a few inches off the ground, watching him intently. "Terra," Onion Knight said softly, slowly getting up. "You have to listen to me. You lost control and transformed again. You have to get a hold of yourself before you do we'll both regret, especially me." Terra let out a low growl as Onion Knight slowly backed away, not taking his eyes off her. "Terra, really, you have to try and control it," Onion Knight said, a bead of sweat dripping down his face. "Um, ah…I'm gonna go find Cloud," he gulped, "and we'll find a way to get you back to normal. Okay?" Terra's lips curled up, and Onion Knight nodded. "Right, I'll go get him."

He turned and bolted towards the mountain. Terra shrieked and drew a hand back over her shoulder, her arm slowing white. She flung out her hand and fired a crescent-shaped wave of energy. The blast sliced over Onion Knight's head and slammed into the mountain, rocks and dirt raining down to cover the path. Onion Knight skidded to a halt in front of the blockade and turned as the Esper floated towards him.

"Uh…right then, we don't need Cloud," he said nervously. Terra stopped in front of him, hands clenching and unclenching. _"Alright, think for a sec. Terra normally transforms when she's in danger or there's a fight," _Onion Knight thought. _"She changes back when the fight's over or when she's weak…oh."_

"Right…okay…" he said, licking dry lips. He reached to his waist and drew his sword. "If we gotta wear you out…I guess it's up to me," he declared. Terra let out a snarl, and Onion Knight took a breath. "Sorry about this…" he muttered. "I'll try to go easy, okay?"

Terra snarled again and drew back her arm again. Onion Knight cried out and leapt over another wave of white energy.

"So much for that plan!" he cried, landing and rolling to his feet. He turned and scowled. "Alright, fine. No holding back Terra!" he called. "Bring it on!" Onion Knight let out a wail and charged forward, sword held over her shoulder.


	8. Absolute Power: Cloud vs Jecht

**I take a little bit of creative license in this chapter, and do something with Terra that I'm sure will catch you readers off-guard. Still, I think it provides an interesting little twist, and…well, you'll see.**

Shards of Memory

Chapter 8

Absolute Power – Cloud vs Jecht

"_**And therefore those skilled in war bring the enemy to the field of battle and are not brought there by him." – **_Sun Tzu

* * *

Cloud ducked and rolled forward as Jecht's fist swung at his head, the air rushing past his ear in the limb's wake. Cloud rolled on his side and onto his feet, the heels of his boots digging into the dirt, as Jecht turned with the motion of his fist and charged again. Cloud swung the Buster Sword to knock Jecht's sword away, but Jecht flipped his wrist and swung the sword down. Cloud leapt back, the sword imbedding itself in the earth. Jecht scowled as he hefted his sword back over his shoulder.

"Stop running around and fight," he said, running forward and leaping into the air. Cloud looked up as Jecht spun his sword over his head, and leapt up after him. Jecht's eyes went wide and he swung fully on instinct, the two swordsmen again hearing the sounds of their blades clash. The two landed, Cloud in a crouch, while Jecht braced himself and landed upright. He let out a laugh and turned with a smirk.

"Now you're gettin' it!" he said. Cloud ran forward and swung the Buster Sword. Jecht parried and countered, and Cloud jumped back as the blade sliced through the air, missing his stomach by inches. The tip planted in the ground and Jecht turned, using the momentum to launch his feet into the air. Cloud landed and was flung back as Jecht's heels slammed into his jaw. He hit the ground and rolled heavily, stopping in a cloud of dust and dirt. He lifted his head and looked up to see Jecht overhead in mid-leap, his fist crackling with red energy. Cloud scowled and rolled away and to his feet. Jecht landed, planting his fist in the ground. He turned away from the small crater made by the impact to glare at Cloud.

Cloud swung the Buster Sword, the blade being knocked away. He twisted his wrist, adjusted his grip and swung again. The blade cut air, Jecht's fist swinging as it passed. Cloud pulled to the side and stumbled back as Jecht spun into another kick. Cloud narrowly ducked, dodged and blocked Jecht's blows, the blitzball star using the momentum of the last to immediately swing into the next. Cloud felt his back hit the mountain wall, and ducked, Jecht's fist slamming into the rock. Chunks of stone rained on Cloud's head as he reached into the pouch on his belt. Jecht looked down and made a face as Cloud palmed a glowing light green orb.

"What's that do?" he muttered. Cloud let out a cry and flung out his hand, a large ball of fire erupting from the Materia orb in his hand and into Jecht's chest. Jecht went flying into the air, and Cloud leapt up after him. Jecht turned his head as Cloud came towards him, and lifted his sword to block Cloud's strike.

"You've got a knack for scurrying around," Jecht grunted, grappling with Cloud. "Let's fix that." He punched, knocking them apart from each other as they landed. Cloud landed on his back and rolled onto his stomach with a groan. Jecht quickly jumped back into the air and swung his sword forward, shooting towards Cloud in an aura of red energy. Cloud lifted his head and flipped over Jecht's head. Jecht looked up as Cloud sailed over his sword, and brought up his other hand. With a roar, the gauntlet-covered fist slammed into Cloud's knee.

Cloud cried out, landing behind Jecht and stumbling to his knees, his hands catching his knee. He put his leg out below him and winced as his knee throbbed. With shaky breaths, Cloud climbed to his feet and turned in time to see Jecht charge towards him. The air left Cloud's lungs all at once as Jecht's fist buried itself in his stomach, doubling him over before he was flung backwards, hitting the wall of the cliff. Cloud fell forward to his knees again, clutching his stomach.

"Sorry kid," Jecht shrugged, walking up to him. Cloud breathed deep and looked up as Jecht swung his sword to rest on his shoulders. "Hey, ya did good." Cloud lowered his head and swallowed between pants.

"Who said…" he muttered, "I'm done yet!?" he launched forward, swinging the Buster Sword up. Jecht jumped back a bit, and Cloud pushed himself up, holding out the Buster Sword. "If you're looking to take me out, it'll take more than that," Cloud snapped. "Let's finish this, now!" Jecht chuckled.

"You're the boss," he said. He lifted the sword and ran forward. Cloud ducked the attack and swung at Jecht's stomach. Jecht's head snapped back as the tip of the Buster Sword cut into his skin, and Cloud brought the sword back over his shoulder. With a cry of both pain and power, Cloud swung and knocked Jecht into the air and leapt after him, a blue aura appearing over the Buster Sword. He reached Jecht, leapt off his back and dove back down, cleaving the Buster Sword across Jecht's chest. Jecht landed heavily on the ground, Cloud landing in front of him a moment later.

Cloud leaned on the Buster Sword, limping slightly from Jecht's earlier blow on his knee. He winced as he stood up and turned towards Jecht. The blitzball star was on his hands and knees, breathing heavily.

"You want more?" Cloud asked weakly, hoping his bluff wouldn't be called. Jecht stood up and looked down at his torso, cut in several places by Cloud's assault. He used his bare hand to wipe off a bit of the blood and flicked it away.

"You messed up my tattoo," Jecht muttered evenly, frowning at the Zanarkand Abes logo that had been partially obscured by the slashes and blood running from them. "Right…alright kid, raincheck." Jecht stepped over to where his sword had fallen when he'd lost his grip in mid-air, grabbing its handle and brushing some dirt off it. "We'll finish this some other time."

"Sure," Cloud said. "Go back to Chaos. Tell him if you and your buddies want me taken out, you'll have to do better than that."

"Buddies?" Jecht asked, looking at Cloud out of the corner of his eye. "Really, kid? That's what you think this is about, taking you out?"

"What do you mean?" Cloud asked, lowering his sword. Jecht shook his head.

"Sure, it was about that for me personally, but hey, all of us? Heh…sorry kid, we got a bigger picture to look at…this wasn't meant to be a fight."

"Then what was it?" Cloud asked. Jecht lowered his head and shrugged.

"…a diversion."

Cloud's eyes went wide.

"Terra."

* * *

Another blade of white energy sliced over Onion Knight's head as he dove to the ground, the air heated where the blade had cut. He got to his feet and grimaced as Terra leered down at him.

"Terra…" he said slowly, tensing his legs, "I don't wanna hurt you…" The transformed mage snarled and flung out her hand, firing a blast of fire. Onion Knight flipped up into the air, leaping over the fireball and catching Terra by surprise. He cried out and swung his sword out, three balls of electrical energy emerging from the blade and flying towards Terra. Terra leapt up to avoid the attack, an aura of power appearing over her arms. Onion Knight looked up at her as she sailed overhead and sent another wave of white energy towards him. The wave washed over him and knocked him back to the ground. He landed and rolled backwards as Terra flew towards him.

Onion Knight lifted his head and swung his sword, glowing with white energy. Dozens of shining white swords appeared in the air surrounding Terra and launched forward. The esper stopped in the air and yowled angrily as the glowing swords fired past and through her, the magical attack leaving small scorch marks on her skin. Onion Knight jumped up as the last sword sliced past and swung her sword over his head, cutting the esper across the chest and knocking Terra to the ground. He landed and smiled, a smile that vanished as Terra climbed to her feet.

"Oh, come on," he groaned. Terra let out an angry roar and snapped out her arms again and again, sending a barrage of energy blades. Onion Knight let out a cry and began to dodge, jumping, ducking, diving and rolling under the attacks to get closer. Terra held a hand over her shoulder and snarled, flinging out her hand and firing another giant fireball. Onion Knight ran forward and spun his sword in front of him, a swarm of smaller fireballs firing out from the weapon. The larger fireball slowed and dispersed, the rest of the swarm going through the smoke in its wake and bombarding Terra. The esper was again knocked back into the air, and Onion Knight leapt after her.

Terra stopped and turned in the air as Onion Knight came towards her. His eyes went wide as Terra held out her hands in front of her. Wind whipped past his ears as a long, wide whirlwind formed below him and funneled up to consume him. Onion Knight let out a shriek as blades of wind whipped around him, the force knocking him back and forth inside the circular wall of air. He tried to find something, anything to help him, but the wind was moving too fast for him to move and there was nothing _but_ wind nearby. His eyes drifted up to the blue moon visible at the top of the cyclone, when a glowing pink and purple form appeared in front of in. Terra zoomed down into the center of the tornado, her arms held over her torso. The arms flung out to the side, sending four blades of white energy slicing down. The energy blades cut apart the tornado and slammed into Onion Knight, sending him tumbling to the ground. The small knight hit heavily and bounced onto his stomach with a groan.

Terra floated to the ground and snapped out her hand. There was a rumbling from the ground, and a geyser of water erupted from the dirt, sending Onion Knight spinning into the air. Terra held up her other hand, and a storm of fireballs rained down in the night sky, knocking the child back down. Another movement of the hand, and a stream of fire raced along the ground to knock him back up.

* * *

"This is the most fun I've had since I died!" Kefka laughed, peering into the image of Terra that he'd manifested in the Crystal. "Come on, the water again, the water again…YES!" Kefka let out a cackle as Terra continued to knock Onion Knight around the grass, leaving no time for him to recover from one attack before the next connected. The red aura on the Crystal began to fade, and Kefka scowled.

"What? No, nonononono!" he moaned. "Ah come on, she can't be tiring, we just got started! Damn Crystal, there must be a short in this thing." Kefka snatched the object from the air and pounded his fist against it. "She's got a lot more strength left, we ain't done here yet!"

Cloud ran down the mountain path as quickly as he bruised leg would let him. He neared the bottom and stopped at the sound of someone cursing. He looked around and spied the source on a ledge a few feet higher up.

"Dammit, come on Terra!" Kefka raged, slapping the Crystal in his hands. "You've got a lot more than that, don't let Uncle Kefka down!"

"Kefka…" Cloud muttered. Kefka lifted his head at the sound of his name and looked down at Cloud. He frowned and scratched his head.

"Aren't you supposed to be fighting Kuja?" he asked.

"What are you doing to Terra?!" Cloud snapped. "Leave her alone!"

"Make me!" Kefka snarled. Cloud leapt up, and Kefka flipped back into the air as the Buster Sword slammed into the mountain wall. Cloud watched as Kefka righted himself in the air and glared. "Hey, hey, I didn't mean it!" he snapped. "Vicious little brat, you blonds are always so bloodthirsty! Seems every time I meet one of your lot they're attacking me. Celes, you, Terra…"

"Leave her alone, or you'll be sorry," Cloud repeated. Kefka rolled his eyes, the Magicite shard in his hands vanishing in a flash of red.

"Fine, doesn't matter," he grumbled. "I did what I came here to do, see ya!" Kefka snapped a cocky salute and vanished in a flash of dark purple magic.

* * *

Onion Knight fell onto his back as a shard of ice slammed into his stomach. He lifted his head to see Terra coming towards him again. He let out a long, low groan and slumped back to the ground, his eyes shutting. Terra drew her hand back, and recoiled, letting out a gasp. A few jolts of magical lightning raced over her skin, with a flash, the pink aura vanished. Human again, Terra stumbled back a step, and crumbled to the ground, unconscious. Behind Onion Knight, a swirl of black energy appeared in the ground.

"This wasn't part of the plan," the Cloud of Darkness whispered, rising from the portal. "The girl's part is not complete…" she looked over at Terra, then back at Onion Knight. "So be it. She is Kefka's quarry, not mine." The two fanged tentacles at her side stretched out and clamped onto Onion Knight's shoulders. The Cloud of Darkness smirked and sank back into the portal, the tentacles dragging Onion Knight along the ground and into the portal behind her.

Cloud rounded the mountain path and squinted in the evening light at the distant campfire. He let out a cry and ran forward, skidding to a halt in front of Terra's limp form.

"Terra?" he said, turning her over. Terra didn't respond. Cloud looked back at the mountain, then back at Terra. His eyes narrowed, and he reached down to pick up a stray lock of Terra's hair. "What the…?"

* * *

A dark portal opened, and Kefka emerged with a snarl of rage into the main hall of the Chaos Shrine. He gnashed his teeth and glared at the ground, then looked up. Golbez, Sephiroth and Mateus were staring at him.

"Take a picture!" Kefka snapped. "What the hell happened, Blondie attacked me! Wasn't Kuja supposed to handle him?"

"I don't quite recall, exactly. Let's ask him," Golbez said, turning his head. "How did that go, Kuja?" Kefka followed Golbez's gaze to see Kuja sitting on the ledge above the floor of the shrine, his head low. Upon hearing his name, the Genome's eyes darted up to glare at Kefka.

"So what happened?" Kefka asked. Kuja lifted his head and turned to Kefka, revealing a large bruise on the side of his face. "So the guy did a number on you huh? Wimp."

"This isn't Cloud's doing, you ignorant wretch," Kuja growled, leaping to the floor. "I was blindsided, by Jecht!"

"It appears that he somehow caught wind of our plan," Sephiroth said. "He attacked Kuja and engaged Cloud himself. He lost, however, and considering the short span of time it took him to lose, that would be my guess as to how it was Cloud found you."

"If it's of any consolation to you, Kuja," Golbez said, "I saw Jecht when he returned. He caught the worst end of all the involved parties in this scheme. He'll be nursing wounds on his chest for days."

"Actually, that _does_ make me feel better," Kuja muttered bitterly.

"There will be time for petty complaints and trivialities later," Mateus announced. "For now, tell me the results. Given that so many of you put your effort into it, I'm certain that at least _some_ aspects of this plan were successful. What became of Cloud without Kuja to delay him?"

"From what he described, Jecht managed to hurt Cloud but it wasn't too serious," Sephiroth said. "Though he was weakened, he was still too strong to attempt to take control of and risk exposing my manipulations. I'll have to wait for another time."

"And you, Kefka?" Mateus asked. "I'll assume, given your current mood, that your scheme didn't go the way you'd planned either."

"No, blondie saw me and attacked me," Kefka grumbled. "I had to run off and he broke my concentration. I didn't get the chance to make Terra attack him, she changed back once I was interrupted. I guess the little runt was tougher than we thought, he tired her out too much for her to sustain the transformation without me pushing her."

"Surely _something_ in this plan went right," Mateus growled, reaching up to rub his forehead. "Someone tell me the fate of the Onion Knight and let it be one I'll be happy to hear."

"The Cloud of Darkness succeeded in kidnapping the child once Terra had defeated him," Golbez said. "That's something."

"Kidnapping is not the same as dispatching, given the choice between the two I'd choose the latter," Mateus sighed, shaking his head. "A three pronged plan and due to the intervention of a single blitzball player, two of those prongs were ruined. Can't you imbeciles do anything right?"

"Remind us then, Mateus, what great schemes _you've_ hatched lately," Kuja snapped, glaring at the emperor. "I'd be amazed you could find time to make plans of your own, since you're always so busy watching and mocking ours. I'm in a rather foul mood as of late and don't feel like listening to your mindless prattle." Mateus sniffed and crossed his arms, trapping his fingers on his staff.

"My schemes are made with a greater purpose in mind, I plot for the long-term and not the short. Any plans of mine are of a far higher mind than you lot could understand and so I won't bore you by attempting to explain them," he replied.

"Stand around, make speeches and bitch at people?" Kefka thought aloud, tapping his chin. "I think I understand that. What is with you 'emperors' that you like to talk about doing things more than you like to actually do them? Must be a part of the package when you take the title or something." Mateus scowled and vanished in a crackle of dark energy. "Was it something I said?" Kefka's shoulders slumped.

"Even the most deceitful lies cannot infuriate a man so much as bitter truths," Golbez recited. "It doesn't matter, the point is the plan was a partial success. Now the two of you can focus on Cloud and Terra without worrying about peripheral distractions."

"Indeed," Sephiroth said. "The only distraction I need to worry about now is Terra herself."

"You think Terra's a distraction? Get your mind outta the gutter," Kefka muttered. Sephiroth turned his eyes towards him. "Alright, yeah yeah," Kefka walked up to Sephiroth and cocked an eyebrow. "Same here, so let's make a little deal, 'kay? You keep Cloud out of my way, and I'll keep Terra out of yours. Deal?" Kefka stuck out his hand, and Sephiroth looked down at it. Actually touching Kefka's hand seemed like an invitation to disaster. Still, the mage had just confronted and absolved one of his key concerns over Cloud…

"Agreed," Sephiroth nodded, shaking Kefka's hand. Kefka grinned, and Sephiroth let out a grunt at the small jolt of electricity that shot up his arm. He pulled his arm back, and Kefka held up his hands and feigned innocence.

"Sorry, that happens sometimes," he said. Sephiroth let out a small growl. From the side, Golbez watched the interaction with mild amusement. He had wholeheartedly meant it when he had told Sephiroth to work with Kefka. Kefka would likely spend so much time irritating Sephiroth, and Sephiroth would spend as much time _being _irritated, that the two of them working together would do just as much harm as good. Golbez had no problems with the two of them controlling Terra and Cloud. So long as their plans didn't reach fruition before his did. Terra and Cloud still had their parts to play in that.

His earlier gamble with Jecht had paid off, Jecht had stopped Sephiroth and Kefka's plan from being a total success. The child was gone, that was unfortunate, but Golbez had already anticipated that. It was a bothersome loss, but one he could handle. In the meantime, he had other parts of the plan to oversee now that the threat posed by his so-called allies was gone. Terra and Cloud weren't the only ones he needed to achieve the goal he desired. And, the child was likely weakened and scared following his abduction, he'd need someone to talk to…if Golbez played this next hand right, he could convince the child he was an ally. Not a complete lie, but not a complete truth either. He'd just have to make it look as though it were the latter. Golbez gave Sephiroth and Kefka one more glance, and content that they were too busy talking to notice, he vanished in a crackle of dark energy.

* * *

Terra murmured slightly, the smell of something burning catching her nose. She opened her eyes and quickly shut them at the glaring sight of a bright campfire. Her head was pounding with the typical rhythm of a horrid migraine, and she wondered what had happened that she had fallen asleep. Terra lifted a hand to shield her eyes from the light of the flames and squinted them open to look around. It was night, that was to be expected, and the only light besides the fire came from the twin blue and red moons in the sky. The moons were rather inconsistent like most other things in this world, sometimes there would be only one, sometimes two. Terra wouldn't be entirely surprised to see a third in the sky one evening.

"You're awake," Cloud said, turning at the sound of Terra sitting up. Terra turned her head to look up at him. The ex-mercenary was barely visible, standing just outside the ring of light provided by the fire, his dark clothing blending perfectly with the dark outline of the trees not too far away. "How do you feel?"

"Like a herd of Chocobos just stampeded over my head," Terra muttered, laying back down on her back and closing her eyes. "What happened? The last thing I remember, you'd gone off to look for food and…"

"You don't remember?" Cloud asked. Terra shook her head. "Well, that's a bit of a disappointment. I was hoping you could explain a few things."

"Like what?"

"Well, Onion Knight is gone, I came back from the mountain to find you unconscious, and…your hair." Terra's eyes widened slightly, and she sat up again. No, it couldn't be…

"My hair?" she whispered. Cloud nodded, and Terra lifted a hand to her head, pulling a few loose strands out so she could see them.

Her normally pale blond hair had turned deep green.

"How'd that happen?" Cloud asked, kneeling beside her. Terra's chin quivered slightly as she stared transfixed at her own hair.

* * *

"_The esper is safe, the Empire didn't make it up the bluff," Edgar let out a breath as the assembled group beheld the frozen creature the Narshe guards had moved to the top of the mountain away from the village. Mere minutes ago, Kefka had led a legion of Imperial soldiers against the peaceful mining community. Fortunately, due to the efforts of the Returners and the Narshe guards, civilian causalities had been minimal. Kefka's thirst for the esper had taken him straight through the village to the mountain, and the few Imperials left behind to oversee the civilians had been dispatched. It had been the Returners' assignment to make sure that Kefka and the Empire didn't reach the esper._

_The group was tired, a bit dirty, they'd been injured during the fighting but Celes and Terra had seen to the wounds before they became a problem. But this couldn't wait, the fate of the war could hinge on what happened here now. More than that…Terra didn't want to wait. She stared at the frozen creature, a mixture of excitement, fear and awe pumping through her veins. The last time she had encountered this creature, or so she'd been told, the Imperial guards with her had been destroyed and the Slave Crown on her head had been short-circuited. She didn't want to imagine what a second encounter could do, but fortunately she didn't have to. She would find out herself._

"_Frozen after a thousand years, whole…" Cyan thought aloud, lowering his head. "Could it be alive, still?"_

"_Impossible, after all that time," Sabin replied. Ignoring them, Terra lifted her foot and took a step closer to the esper._

"_Well, maybe we can unthaw it," Locke said. "Terra, you can conjure fire, can you melt the ice?" the treasure hunter turned to the woman that was slowly stepping closer to the esper, and stepped in front of her. "Terra? What is it?" Locke asked. Terra's eyes were glazed over, and as Locke stepped in front of her, her eyes snapped to focus and glared at him. Locke blinked, and cried out as he was hurled to the side, slamming into Celes and knocking the former general to the ground._

"_T…Terra?" Celes asked, looking up at the young woman. Terra turned blank eyes to Celes._

"_You can feel it too, can't you…" Terra whispered. "The power…raw magical energy…like a geyser…"_

"_Terra…" Celes gasped as the prison of ice surrounding the esper lit up, glowing in a soft blue light. Terra's eyes closed and her head tilted back slightly as her skin took on a similar glow, hers a light pink. She turned away and resumed her slow walk to the esper. Cyan and Sabin came up on either side of Terra, and Edgar moved in front of her._

"_Terra, you need to back away from the esper," Edgar said._

"_No…"_

"_Terra, something's happening, you need to stay away."_

"_No!" Terra's eyes snapped open, and there was a burst of red light around Terra. The three men were hurtled away to the edge of the cliff. The group watched as a glowing red aura appeared over Terra as she stepped up to the esper._

"_The esper…" Celes said, watching with wide eyes. Terra tilted her head and reached out a hand, lightning shooting out from the ice and crackling along her skin as she touched the esper's prison. Not long after, lightning began to spark back from Terra as well. "They're reacting to each other…" Terra's lips drifted open slightly, and she brought her other hand up to the ice._

"_This feeling…" she whispered, lifting her eyes to look up at the esper's head. Bright blue eyes locked with dead black ones, and Terra's nails began to dig into the ice. "You…you know, don't you? What I am…" the aura of energy around Terra turned a deeper shade of red, and the aura of the esper became a brighter blue in response. Terra's ponytail came loose from its binding, her blond hair fluttering in the air behind her. The wind whistling over the cliff hastened, blowing the folds of Terra's clothing to the side. "Tell me…who am I?" she asked. "Who!?_

_More magical lightning raced along Terra's arms, and the esper's glow began to pulse in response. Terra let go of the ice and her eyes drifted shut again as she was lifted into the air, hovering a foot off the ground. The magical energy began to flow stronger, the aura around her grew darker, and all the while Terra was silent, her hands held out to the sides. Lightning shot through her body, and her hair danced along her back and neck. Like a wave from root to tip, the light blond curls turned deep green. Terra's nails turned blue, her skin turned pink, and her hair elongated, changing color again to bright purple. The transformation complete, Terra's head snapped back and she let out a feral screech before flying into the twilit sky._

_

* * *

_"_I…I transformed again…" _Terra thought, staring at her now-green hair in horror. When she had awoken in Zozo in her familiar, fully human body, she had asked how and when the change happened. The when had come from her friends, who told her it happened when she had transformed on the cliff. The how came from Maduin, he'd explained that the color was derived from his own hair. With her powers fully awakened and her Esper no longer dormant, Madeline's light blond had turned to a deeper shade of Maduin's green.

Terra eventually got used to the change, though it still caused problems. Green hair was not the most inconspicuous trait to possess. It had first happened when they returned to Narshe, and would repeat several times whenever they'd enter a village to search for information. The people would cast her nervous glances as she walked by, she'd see them whisper to each other, and more than a few children abandoned such "polite" behavior to outright gawk at her. It was then that she had begun to develop her fondness for children – the younger ones would outright ask her how she got her hair color, and thought it looked pretty. The adults would just whisper and stare and if she came close to them they'd deliberately avoid speaking to her. The children were much more direct with their curiosities and didn't make Terra feel like such an outcast.

When the power of magic had vanished, Terra's hair had turned back to the light blond curls she remembered. The pulse of magic in her hands she'd felt her entire life faded, and it was then Terra realized that she had been granted her silent wish for a normal life. She didn't have to fight, didn't need to bear the curse of her Esper anymore. She had stepped to the bow of the Falcon and let her ponytail lose, doing nothing more than enjoying the feeling of the wind on her ears and in her hair.

When the cataclysm had occurred, Cosmos had told Terra about the dangers she was about to face, and gave her a choice to fight with naught but her own strength, or to accept Cosmos' assistance and let the goddess bent the fabric of reality and give Terra back her magic. Terra had known what dangers would come with it, but she had shouldered the burden of her Esper for the sake of the world once, she would shoulder it again. And she had, and a handful of times she had transformed when she lost control, but not to the extent her hair changed. Now, this…

_"If it changed to green again, then…this change must have been more extreme…"_ The fingers holding the hair curled into a fist. _"Kefka…I sensed him before I…he did this…he forced me to…to…" _Terra clenched her eyes shut. _"Onion Knight…did I…I…"_ Even in her mind, Terra couldn't finish the question. She had transformed countless times during the war with the Empire and Kefka, sometimes it was voluntary, sometimes not. And though she occasionally hurt someone, she was eternally grateful the Esper had refrained from killing anything beyond monsters. But now…

"So, what's up with that?" Cloud asked, still kneeling beside her. Terra turned to him. Cloud, he didn't know. He didn't know about her Esper, the transformations, that the green hair signaled now as it had before, that Terra's control had slipped and she may have done something unspeakable. He didn't know what kind of monster lurked in the back of her mind…he wouldn't, he couldn't know. She couldn't possibly tell him and except him to understand her burden, to understand her. No, Cloud…he had to remain ignorant about the truth, and if things went well he'd never need to know it. It was better that way.

"It's a side-effect of my power…" Terra whispered. "My father had green hair, when my power acts up, it can change color. Kefka, our world's Crystal…he can use it to aggravate my power."

"And Onion Knight? Where did he go?"

"I don't know."

Terra lowered her eyes as Cloud stood up and crossed to the other side of the fire.

"I know you're lying."

Terra's eyes went wide, and she whirled her head to stare at Cloud's back.

"I know there's something you're not telling me…I don't know what it is, but I know it's there. I know we haven't known each other long, so I don't expect you to tell me your life story and all your little secrets, hell, I haven't told you mine. But I figure, whatever it is, it must mean something awful to you, for that hair color to make you so emotional." Cloud turned around. "But, Terra, you can trust me. Whatever it is you're keeping secret, you can tell me." Terra held his gaze, and nodded after a moment.

"You're right," she said softly, "there is something I'm not telling you. But you just said it yourself, there's things you aren't telling me either. So how about we keep our secrets and share them when we're ready and not before, okay?"

"Fair enough," Cloud nodded. "It's late, I think, and we don't know how long the night will last. I think we should sleep and take watch in shifts, it'll let us both get some sleep and I think we both need it."

"Alright," Terra replied. "You've been watching over me, you get some sleep, I'll watch."

"Right." Cloud laid back on the ground and removed the leather strap for the Buster Sword's holder, and curled his hands up under the side of his head. He'd slept in far worse conditions in his life, it wasn't comfortable but it would do. He turned away from the fire and watched the ground, the grass dancing with the shadows cast by his profile from the fire behind him.

Terra waited until Cloud's breathing evened out, and he didn't move even when she purposely tripped and let out a small cry. She stood and walked away from the fire into the nearby woods. She didn't want to go far, just far enough so he wouldn't wake up. She got what she felt was a safe distance, turned to the nearest tree and slumped forward against it, leaning her head on her forearm.

And then she let the tears fall.

Terra had to be strong, and appear to be strong, she was used to that. Her friends thought she was the key to ending the war, and then the world had ripped itself apart and the Mobliz orphans had looked up to her as a surrogate mother. So Terra was used to appearing strong for the benefit of others. People needed strong leaders to follow, to look to for help. Terra _was_ strong, she knew that perfectly well, she'd have never survived what she had if she didn't. But she still felt weakness, and even during the war she needed moments and places like this now and then. Moments when she could indulge herself with weakness, in places no one could see her do it.

Terra let go and cried. She cried for the loss of control she had experienced again and again and again her entire life. She cried for being forced to fight a war she didn't want with powers she didn't want. And most of all, she cried for the death of her friend and comrade, and for the thought that another could join him if she lost control again. Her cheeks pink and her eyes red, Terra turned from the tree and slid to the ground, her head falling back against the bark. Oh yes, and she cried for her hair. Aesthetics aside, the green color was a physical incarnation of the mental and magical burden she carried with her. She didn't need another reminder of that.

"Tears are unbecoming of a Warrior of Cosmos."

Terra's eyes went wide and she jumped to her feet, looking for the sound of the deep voice. It was dark though, the tree cover blocked the light of the moons and the thick foliage hid any sign of who or what was there.

"Some might say tears are more suiting of woman than man. I say tears are more suiting of the weak than the strong, and you, Terra Madeline Branford, are not weak. So I must ask, how is it I find you here crying?" the deep, slightly echoing voice continued. Terra continued to scan the trees for the sound of the voice. Alone, unable to see, she was a perfect target. "If you're expecting an attack, you can be at ease. If I'd come here seeking conflict you'd know it by now," the voice said as if reading her mind. Terra swallowed and stopped looking, her tears drying on her cheeks.

"Alright…you don't want to hurt me," she said. "If you're not hostile, then tell me who you are."

"A friend."

"That's not what I meant and you know it. What's your name?"

"It doesn't work that way, girl," the voice scolded. "I answered one of your questions, now you will answer one of mine. Why do you cry?" Terra let out a shaky breath.

"Because…I killed him…" she whispered. "I killed one of my friends…I lost control, and…" Terra didn't finish.

"Ah, you mean your attack against the Onion Knight," the voice said. "You're quite mistaken girl. The child lives."

"What?" Terra gasped and stepped forward, looking for the voice again. "You're certain?"

"Quite, I saw him not an hour ago. He's a bit hurt and tired, but that is to be expected."

"Is he safe?"

"It depends on your definition of safe. He's alive, as I said, but he is held in enemy territory. When you were done weakening him, the Cloud of Darkness appeared and abducted him. But he still believes, he hopes to escape, he wishes to fight the villains who have taken him. And…he worries for you. He's concerned if he hurt you, and if you were able to change back to avoid hurting Cloud."

"So like him…" Terra whispered, lowering her head. So she hadn't killed him, he had survived. Weak, alone and kidnapped, but alive. The weight on her heart lightened, and she let out a small chuckle of happiness. She could find him, then, help him, save him. "I have to rescue him," she said to the voice aloud. "It was my fault he was taken, I'll find a way to free him!"

"I had hoped you would say such," the voice laughed deeply. "That is good, then. Feelings of weakness are best alleviated with feelings of courage and a goal to pursue with them. You now have found the former anew, so I will grant you the latter. Go to the north, after several days you will find a city, or what is left of one. From there, I will help no further, the direction will be decided on your own judgment."

"Thank you…" Terra nodded. "Who are you?"

"I already told you." There was a metallic clank, and Terra turned her head to see one lump of darkened shadows move away through the trees. "I am a friend." Terra moved towards the shadow, but after another step the figure vanished in a flash of dark magic, and the shadows left in their wake left no trace of their presence.


	9. Illusion

Shards of Memory

**I toss out a quote from a game in this chapter somewhere. It's not an overly obscure quote, so let's see who can spot it.**

**I've also been watching the English preview trailers closely, and as a result of what I've seen, I'll be adjusting Mateus' character a bit. In previous chapters, he tended to shout and raise his voice, while his English voice actor is more even-toned. I find this actually more fitting, all things considered, so my Emperor will be tweaked slightly to be more in-line with that calm arrogance.**

Chapter 9

Illusion

**_"The difference between false memories and true ones is the same as for jewels: it is always the false ones that look the most real, the most brilliant."_** – Salvador Dali

* * *

"And you trusted him?" Cloud asked, ripping another piece of meat off the skewer with his teeth. Terra twirled her share of the meal in her hands, watching with disinterest.

"He gave me no reason not to," she said, "he could have attacked me but he didn't. Whoever he was, he came to offer me advice."

"Hm…." Cloud fell into thought. The two had spent part of the day traveling, it had been a late start and the going had been slow. Cloud still had a slight limp and a heavily bruised stomach, both courtesy of Jecht. Terra was a bit better, she was a bit sore and had a headache, but wasn't heavily injured. She had healed Cloud's more serious wounds with her powers, but he was willing and able to handle the tenderness of the bruises for a few days so as not to exhaust her.

The ease with which Terra used magic was still impressive after seeing her use her abilities so much and for so long. Cloud had no magic at all without Materia, and even on his normal world when it was overused the Materia grew dull and powerless until it rested to absorb more energy from the earth and regenerate its powers. But Terra's power seemed infinite, without any other power beyond her own, her magic had been enough to fight, heal wounds and sometimes do both in the same day with her only showing the slightest tiring from doing so.

_"Her spiritual power is incredible…"_ Cloud thought, looking down at the skewer of meet in his hands. _"She can't just be another Magitek Knight like she said, if they had this sort of power they would have conquered her world with ease."_ Cloud was reminded of the previous night when he had returned to find her unconscious, her hair turned green and Onion Knight gone. He knew something was wrong. She told him the story of her world and who she was in bits and pieces, and a lot of them didn't exactly match up. There were more inconsistencies than could be attributed to a faulty memory, and he ought to know. Cloud's memory may have had holes in it the size of the Northern Crater, but this was something else.

Terra was leaving something out, he knew she wasn't telling him the whole the truth. But what that whole truth was, he had no idea. It hurt a bit that she didn't trust him enough to tell him. The distorted timeline aside, they'd known each other for what seemed like a bit more than a week, and to an extent Cloud sympathized with her hesitations since that really wasn't all that long. But still, they had fought beside each other, they were fighting for the same cause. And even if they hadn't known each other that long, Cloud knew Terra was a good person. The Crystals wouldn't have chosen her as a Warrior of Cosmos if she was cruel-hearted, so how bad could this strange secret of hers really be? Whatever it was, it obviously bothered her. She seemed more distant lately, and Cloud still remembered her horrified reaction to the sight of her hair turning bright green. He still didn't have a real answer for that, and he'd spent a while trying to think one up.

"We'll keep going in the morning, it's late…I think," Terra said. Cloud looked up at her and nodded. The two had been fortunate enough – relatively speaking – to come across a pair of smaller monsters earlier that day. Compared to the more numerous Crystelle, monsters were scarce in this world. In the first place, a lot of the monsters Cloud knew as monsters weren't actually real monsters, just ordinary wild animals, and so the Crystals had taken their lives and their light during the cataclysm. True monsters had no light in their hearts and so were spared, but even then the cataclysm had killed many of them. The occasional lucky find of real food aside, monsters were the only nourishment, at least when they were edible. The monsters they'd killed were from Terra's world, she'd called them "Bloodfangs", slightly luminescent red wolves. Killing them hadn't been difficult, and the slightly offsetting glow had vanished when they'd died. The meat was a little tough but otherwise enjoyable. It was food at least. Cloud bit off another piece and chewed. Now that he thought for a moment, it was a bit salty.

"So when we get to this city, what do you think we'll find?" Cloud asked. Terra thought for a moment, and shrugged.

"I'm not sure. He just told me to go north and find a city, he left out what I'd find or where to go next from there. But it's a direction as well as any, given that we don't have anywhere else to be."

"Yeah…good point." Cloud said. It was a sad but true fact, this world, the amalgamation of dozens of others, was vast, far too vast to cover on foot and yet they had no choice. The Crystals were in the hands of the enemy, and they could be lurking anywhere. The Warriors of Chaos had every advantage on their side. And yet…

Cloud narrowed his eyes. They had the Crystals, the worlds were shattered, and as Cosmos told it over time the Crystals were filled with darkness. So why then, did the Warriors of Chaos take action against them? They'd practically already won, the Crystals were in evil hands and the Warriors of Cosmos had no way to know how to find them. Why risk engaging them? Killing them, as far as Cloud knew, would make no difference in the end. It didn't make any sense to place themselves in the open when if they hid they'd have a better chance of victory.

Jecht had mentioned Sephiroth was plotting against him, but why? Was Sephiroth responsible for his vanishing memories? Terra had said Kefka could use the Crystal of their world to antagonize her powers. What if Sephiroth had found a way to affect Cloud's mind with his Crystal in the same way? But why would he want to erase Cloud's memories, in what way would that possibly help him? And why did they kidnap Onion Knight rather than just outright attack them all at once? They had the three of them outnumbered, and yet they only took one away…

"There's too many unknowns," Cloud decided. This dark world had a lot of mysteries to be solved, Terra and Sephiroth and the Warriors of Chaos all included. Their actions made no sense, why go through so much trouble to fight them when they already had the Crystals? "Unless there's something else…something we don't know about. Maybe the Crystals aren't what they're concerning themselves with…maybe it's us. But why? What's so important about us that they'd place the Crystals in jeopardy to strike us down?"

"What are you thinking about?" Terra asked. Cloud looked up, startled slightly.

"Huh?"

"You look like you're thinking about something," Terra explained. "What is it?" Cloud thought for a moment. Terra and Kefka's influence on her had been a link in his chain of thought, but just a link and nothing more. That aside, if he wanted her to trust him, it wouldn't hurt to reciprocate that trust…

"Something about this war doesn't make sense," Cloud said. "Cosmos said the Crystals are the core of our worlds, and the darkness of Chaos inside them is what caused the cataclysm."

"Yes, that's right."

"So then, why are we so important?"

"What do you mean?" Terra frowned slightly. "We're the warriors chosen by the Crystals to defeat Chaos and restore the light of the worlds! How can you ask something like that?"

"I know why we're here, what we have to do!" Cloud protested. "I mean…the Warriors of Chaos. They have the Crystals, they're tainting them with darkness. They've already won, pretty much."

"Not yet they haven't, as long as we fight them there's hope."

"But that's just it, why do they fight us? They have the Crystals, why place themselves in danger to defeat us? We'll fade away when the last light of the Crystal vanishes, so they just have to hide from us until the taint of the Crystals becomes complete. Why fight us when they have no real reason to?"

"That's…" Terra fell silent as she pondered Cloud's words. "You're right," she realized. "They don't have to attack us, so why do they?"

"That's what I'm wondering, for some reason they consider us important enough to jeopardize the Crystals and their lives," Cloud said. "So what is it about us that they want us dead so fast and so badly?"

"Cosmos said it was a matter of time before the Crystals fell to darkness. Maybe they're on a similar time limit," Terra said. "Maybe they have to defeat us before something happens to them."

"The way I understand it, most of them were dead before Chaos called them to fight," Cloud mused. "Maybe that's it, maybe their time back alive isn't that long, that's why they have to win before they fade back into death."

"Or maybe it's just something else entirely…something we don't know about."

"Like what?"

"I don't know…it's just…" Terra hesitated for a moment. "I've been thinking too…there's got to be a lot more worlds than this. Cosmos said there were ten of us chosen to fight. But they have to be dozens, hundreds of worlds, so why us specifically? And why only ten? And if Chaos has been able to make this sort of play for power by seizing the Crystals, why hasn't he tried before?"

"Yeah…" Cloud nodded. "Something isn't right, we're missing something here. Something important. This war can't just be about beating Chaos and saving the Crystals. There's something more to it…" the two comrades fell silent again in the aftermath of their conversation.

"For now, I guess there's nothing more we can do than trust Cosmos," Terra said finally. "Even if there's more to this than what we know, we still have to trust that. We need the Crystals to save our worlds and stop Chaos, so we have to keep fighting. As long as one of us still stands, there's still hope for that salvation."

"Right," Cloud nodded. "At least we have a path to keep us focused. How long do you think it'll take to reach the city he mentioned?"

"I'm not sure, he didn't say how far away it was."

"Great….well let's just hope we went the right way."

"We are, I know how to navigate," Terra assured him. "Fortunately a few things in this world are constant after all."

"What do you mean?" Cloud asked. Terra looked up at the stars above and smiled.

"I was taught to navigate by the stars when I was used by the Empire as a soldier, they taught my the constellations for our field missions," she said. "There, see those three stars?" Terra pointed, and Cloud followed her finger to a triad of three bright stars in a triangle formation. "And the four stars in a sort of semi-circle near them?"

"Yeah," Cloud nodded, noting the formation seemed familiar.

"That's the Chocobo's Beak, the three stars form the beak and the other four form the Chocobo's head. I remember learning about Chocobos from a stable hand at the Imperial capital. He told me that Chocobos always sleep facing the north, and because of that the Chocobo's Beak always points to the north. So as long as travelers can find the Beak, they can find their way no matter where they are."

"Oh yeah?" Cloud asked, thinking. "Any other constellations you know about?"

"Of course," Terra said. "Over there," she pointed to another familiar cluster of stars. "That's the Moogle, that really bright star is the pom-pom, and those four stars there-"

"Are the tips of its wings, and those stars are the feet and hands," Cloud finished, looking back at Terra from the sky. Terra gave him a stunned look. "Those are the same constellations as in my world, the Chocobo's Beak, the Moogle, we have those too where I come from," Cloud explained.

"Really?" Terra chuckled slightly, smiling. "Wow…I didn't expect that."

"Well maybe it's just those two, what other ones are there?" Cloud asked. Terra looked back at the sky and scanned it for a moment.

"There, those three stars there form the curve of the Behemoth's horn, and those two stars there make its paws," she said. "That familiar?"

"Yeah, that's the same," Cloud nodded and lift his head. "That line of stars over there ring any bells?"

"Yes, that's the Cactuar!" Terra laughed. "And that large cluster of stars in front of it are its needles, right?"

"Exactly."

The two Warriors of Cosmos fell into a silence again, the only sound the crackling of the campfire between them. Cloud looked back at the sky in thought. Their two worlds had the same stars…he was sure there was some huge philosophical lesson behind that, but it was escaping him.

"Does this mean…" Terra said. "Since this world is formed from the remnants of our worlds…do all the worlds have these stars?" Cloud lifted his eyebrows. Terra got it faster than he did.

"Yeah…I guess so."

"There's so many worlds…and they all share the same sky…" Terra said, looking up again with a small smile. "The same sky…"

"And if we fall, there'll be only one destiny among them too."

"Then we just won't fall."

"You make it sound easy. Terra, we can fall, and the Warriors of Chaos are doing everything in their power to destroy us," Cloud said.

"How about we make a deal then?" Terra said. "I'll believe in Cosmos and hope for our triumph, and you can mope and remind me that we're gonna die. How would that work for you?"

"…yeah, sure." Blue eyes met over the glow of the fire, and Terra blushed slightly and shrugged. Cloud let out a small snort and lowered his eyes, a small smile on his face.

* * *

Cosmos had her eyes closed, using the dimming power of light to survey the land. Though it was subtle, her eyes saw the earth shifting form. The Chaos Shrine, the center of the vortex of darkness that was consuming the worlds, was drawing the various meshed lands into itself. The worlds, already forced together in the cataclysm, were coming closer together, the barriers that kept them separate were nearly gone. The world…this dark remnant of worlds, was nearing its end.

The goddess heard a small clank, and opened her eyes at the armored figure stepping towards her throne. She smiled softly and stood as the figure stopped and kneeled. She had been awaiting him, though she hadn't known when he would come. Seeing him gave her hope. The light in this one was powerful, perhaps strong enough to finally accomplish what she could not. She was a goddess, but not omnipotent. She was still bound by the shackles of destiny, but this one…she had known when he first came before her, that this one could perhaps shatter those shackles.

"Lady Cosmos," the figure bowed his head.

"Stand…" Cosmos whispered. "Why have you again come before me?" the armored figure stood and crossed his arms. He respected her, Cosmos had no doubt for that. But she treated him like an equal, here when they met, and he had likewise learned to do that same. He was the key to ending this war for good, for that she desperately needed him.

"I fear our time is growing short. The denizens of Chaos grow wary of fighting your warriors, too many risks and too many fallen comrades. I fear if they cannot be spurred to fight before the divine dragon awakens, then all our efforts will be for nothing."

"I have sensed this as well. The land grows smaller, the darkness deepens," Cosmos said sadly. "Time is running out for this world. We must complete the plan you devised before this world sinks into oblivion."

"I am doing my best, but there have been difficulties. As their numbers have shrunk, Chaos' minions are devising ever more clever and subtle tactics to conquer your warriors. If it were just simple Crystelle and the occasional ambush they planned, we would be safe, but…"

"You speak of Cloud and Terra," Cosmos nodded. The figure reacted in surprise.

"Then you know what Sephiroth and Kefka plot for them."

"If they have their way, Cloud and Terra will attempt to destroy each other, and the survivor will march against the others and slay them. This cannot happen."

"Unfortunately there is nothing I can do to stop them. They play their games using powers I cannot hinder, not without drawing unneeded attention. But they cannot be allowed to continue either. We must devise an alternative method to save Cloud and Terra from their manipulators."

"Yes…" Cosmos closed her eyes again and reached her spirit out across the torn landscape beyond the haven of her sanctuary, safe from the cataclysm. She touched the light within Cloud's heart, and watched what she saw. "Wait…there may be a way…"

"You have seen an alternative?" the figure asked. Cosmos opened her eyes.

"Destiny oft works in ways even the gods cannot understand, but…yes, I believe I have glimpsed the path destiny has charted for them. It was not by chance they met. They help each other more than they know…together, they have already taken steps to thwart the schemes of the enemy."

"I…I'm afraid I don't understand," the figure said.

"Nor do I, not fully, but…the two of them strengthen each other against the darkness in ways they don't even realize. Together, they can stand strong. I am certain of it. No intervention will be needed, just make sure they continue on the paths we've charted for them. Though you cannot see it, I assure you, Cloud does not fight Sephiroth's influence alone."

"Very well, my lady. If that is your desire," the figure sighed. Cosmos smiled and stepped towards him.

"Do not despair," she whispered, laying a hand on the figure's shoulder. "You have performed beyond what I ever could have hoped. When first we met I saw a faint glimmer of hope, but now, it has grown into a brilliant ray."

"I do only what I can, no more, no less," the figure replied. Cosmos reached out her other hand, and the figure gasped at the light that burst forth from his armor.

"I knew that after centuries of the cycle, Chaos would slip one day. I knew when they day came, I had to seize upon the chance he would unwittingly give me. After so long…that day has come. He called ten warriors to his aid, but he failed to choose them as carefully as he should have. A warrior of darkness with a heart of light…you, you are the chance I have waited for. You have given me hope for a world without Chaos' darkness. You may have done only what you can, but you have done so much. Together, the two of us can unravel this cycle."

"And when we prevail, you will grant my wish?" the figure asked.

"When the light returns to the Crystals, the forces of darkness will vanish, and Chaos' minions will sink into oblivion with him. A world without this cycle…for the hope to see such a world…yes, Golbez. I will grant your wish."

"Then for you, and for the world without this cycle, Lady Cosmos," Golbez nodded, standing up, "I shall not fail you."

* * *

Mateus snorted and leapt back, the carpet and stone floor underneath it shattering as a gigantic black sword slammed down where he had stood. Mateus landed at the top of the ramp of the Chaos Shrine with a flourish. Below, Jecht hefted his sword back onto his shoulder and glared up at the emperor.

"You'll have to fix that, you know," Mateus muttered dryly.

"I'll fill it in, with the goo I'm gonna pound you into!" Jecht snarled, running up the ramp. Mateus narrowed his eyes and clicked his staff on a ground. A field of electricity appeared on the ramp, and Jecht cried out as lightning shot through his body. His legs gave out and his collapsed, his sword sliding up the ramp. Mateus looked down at the blade and kicked his foot out, knocking it aside.

"Hmph. Imagine, a traitor challenging me for the sake of his own treachery," Mateus said as Jecht gasped for breath. "You're pathetic, Jecht."

"Oh yeah?" Jecht lifted his head. "Try saying that again, to my face!" At the last word, Jecht jumped forward, his fist raised. He slammed his fist down, and Mateus calmly held out his hand. A crest of energy appeared over his palm, stopping Jecht in mid-air. Jecht let a gasp as ripples of energy pulsed over the field of magic, the center of the field glowing.

"I said," Mateus growled. "You're pathetic." Bolts of magical energy shot out from the center of the crest, sending Jecht flying through the air. The blitzball star crashed into the wall above the doors of the shrine and fell to the ground. Mateus looked to the side and jerked his head. With a glowing blue aura, Jecht's sword levitated off the ground. "You forgot something," Mateus said, swinging his staff forward. Jecht's sword flung itself through the air, flipping and imbedding itself in one of the pillars beside the door.

Sephiroth emerged from one of the halls leading deeper into the shrine, and frowned as he heard the sounds of battle.

"You're late, this show's been going on for a few minutes now." Sephiroth turned his head to see Kefka and Kuja standing behind the pillars lining the sides of the shrine, standing in the shadows.

"And what show would that be?" he asked, approaching them. Kefka grinned and rubbed his hands together.

"Mateus and Jecht are fighting, and the muscle-head is taking a pounding!" he laughed.

"Oh?"

"Mateus had words for Jecht when he dared show his face here," Kuja explained, crossing his arms. "Jecht didn't appreciate the way his highness spoke to him."

"Few of us do," Sephiroth agreed, turning his head. Jecht grabbed his sword from the pillar and pulled it free with a grunt, chunks of stone flying out with it.

"Your little tantrum is beginning to bore me, Jecht," Mateus said from the opposite end of the shrine. "Really, are you so blinded by emotion that you cannot see the truth the lies plainly before your eyes?"

"Shut…up…" Jecht gasped.

"I will conclude speaking when you commence listening. We don't have time for squabbles like this," Mateus replied. "Your actions directly interfered with a plan that otherwise may have been a complete success."

"Yeah yeah, I've been a bad boy, what are ya gonna do, spank me?" Jecht muttered. "You can't hurt me, not really, you still need me, darkness and Crystals and all that."

"So it may seem, but if you persist in these futile shows of defiance, then I may have to re-evaluate your role in the plan. Simply put, Jecht…don't make me have to kill you."

"Do it, do it, do it, do it!" Kefka chanted, clapping in time with the words. "Come on, I wanna see someone die already!" Jecht glared at him, but Mateus ignored him and continued speaking.

"Jecht, your loyalty to your son is a weakness Chaos will not tolerate, and one that you must overcome. When Tidus' time arrives, he will fall, as will his comrades. I suggest you place your emotions in order before that time, because if you interfere with our plans again, this thrashing will pale in comparison to what Chaos will do to you."

"Yeah right…" Jecht snorted. "Like Chaos would really take me out, Garland maybe."

"Actually, this is direct from Garland himself, and thus from Chaos," Mateus said coldly. "And this extends to our audience as well," he turned to the three overlooking the shrine from their vantage point. "The failure of this plan has been the final straw. Chaos will not tolerate any more failures, from any of us. The next time this happens, he will see us personally." Mateus looked back down at Jecht, then back up Sephiroth, Kefka and Kuja.

"So, let me ask you, my associates. Who among you will chance another failed plan, and rather than explain it to me, explain your failure to Chaos?"

"At least we have plans," Sephiroth said. "What of you, Mateus? What great schemes do you have in the works?"

"Schemes far more complex and grand than you could formulate, I assure you," Mateus sniffed. "Speaking of your plans, isn't it about time you scamper off to toy with Cloud's mind again? You spend so much time playing havoc with his memories and yet nothing substantial has developed from it. I wouldn't mind seeing actual results sometime soon."

"I am working on these 'results'," Sephiroth said, irritated. "Even if you cannot perceive the damage I've done, I can. You've no idea what sort of state his psyche is in thanks to me."

* * *

Cloud emerged from the door, looking down at the Cosmos Candle. His friends were sitting around the blazing orange flame, staring into its depths. Cloud had heard the tales of the Cosmos Candle's supposed mythical powers over the soul during his time in SOLDIER, but had doubted then if there was any truth. After speaking with Bugenhagen just now, he wasn't so certain.

Cloud stepped down the stairs leading into the mountain, and walked towards the fire. Yuffie and Barret looked up at him as he neared, then back to the fire. Red XIII was curled up almost as if asleep, but his eyes were open and staring off. Tifa had her legs crossed, staring into the flame with similar absent-mindedness. Cloud turned his head to the other girl of their group, eyes downcast and legs pulled up to her chest. He walked over and sat beside her.

"You alright?" he asked. The girl lifted her eyes to look at Cloud through her bangs, and shrugged.

"Yeah…" she whispered, looking back at the ground. "I'm just thinking."

"About what?"

"Me…my powers. The Cetra. These last couple of days here, I've learned so much from the elders of the canyon. Their powers are incredible, they can use magic without Materia, sense the presence of the Lifestream. And not just their powers, their knowledge, they know so much about the Cetra, where they came from, what they were…" the girl trailed off, but Cloud knew there was more than that.

"But?" he prompted after a moment. The girl shifted her feet, pink and red clothing shuffling as she wrapped her hands around her knees.

"But…they aren't Cetra themselves. It was when they were teaching me about the Cetra's search for the Promised Land, that it hit me…they aren't Cetra, because there are none left. No one but me. No one else will ever really understand the powers I have, the sort of legacy I have to carry on. Just me, no one else. I'm the only Cetra left alive…" Cloud tensed as the girl sniffed slightly. "I'm alone."

"Hey, that's not true," he said gently, laying a hand on her shoulder. "We're with you. And we may not be Cetra but we can help. We all want to find the Promised Land and find out what the Cetra were. We're a team, we support each other any way we can. And last time I checked you're a part of the team too. So whatever it takes, whatever you have to do, we'll be there to help you."

"You mean that?" the girl whispered. Cloud nodded.

"Yeah. And not just us, I mean me, too. I'm your bodyguard, right? So whatever happens, I'll be there to help you. And as long as I'm around, you won't be alone. I promise." A hand reached up to cover Cloud's, and the girl smiled.

"Thank you…Cloud." The girl lifted her head and turned to face him, and Cloud's eyes went wide. He stared, transfixed, at who sat in front of him.

"I mean it…" Terra whispered, squeezing the hand on her shoulder. "Thank you Cloud. You don't know how much that means to me."

* * *

Cloud's eyes popped open with a sharp gasp. He lay still for a moment, staring up at the stars, then sat up and looked across the dying campfire. Terra laid asleep on her side, using her unclasped cloak as a pillow, her chest rising and falling with the sound of her breathing. Cloud stared at her sleeping form, stunned at what had happened. This wasn't like the nightmares before, this was…this was…

"What the hell was that?" Cloud asked aloud, half-hoping Terra would open her eyes and answer him. She didn't. Cloud licked the inside of his mouth. The dream had felt as real as the other nightmares, like he had been reliving the past. But unlike the other dreams, this one wasn't fleeing and leaving only bits and pieces of the dream behind. He could picture every moment of the dream, vividly and clear. But that didn't make any sense.

The dream itself made no sense. Terra was from another world, he had never met her before and of course they had never traveled together. But somehow, this dream…or was it a memory? Cloud wasn't sure which it was, he remembered the group's stay at Cosmos Canyon clearly, but at no point had any idea of Terra being there even crossed his mind. Looking back now, though…she was everywhere. She was sitting next to him at the campfire, next to Yuffie in Bugenhagen's lab, at the table in the inn eating with Tifa…but that didn't make any sense. And yet, there she was.

Cloud looked back at Terra, his mouth set in a line. The memories of her hallucinated green eyes and the suspicious déjà vu feeling came to the front of Cloud's mind, and he nearly glared at her.

"What are you doing to me?" he demanded. Once again, Terra didn't answer but to continue sleeping.

* * *

"What was that?"

Sephiroth opened his eyes and frowned, uncrossing his legs from atop his bedding and standing up. He reached out to Cloud's mind, and let out a small growl. He was awake, he couldn't return now after so unceremoniously being…the only term that was coming to mind was 'kicked out', for that was more or less what had happened.

It had been going fine, the extraction had been proceeding the same as all the others had. Then, he felt something shift. The image of the memory he was exploring changed, like a wall sliding shut in front of his eyes. In its place was hard stone that curiously, Sephiroth's powers couldn't penetrate. But that was impossible, Cloud didn't have that sort of mental strength, not anymore. And yet somehow, the memory had not only resisted being destroyed, it had all but ejected him from Cloud's mind and replaced itself with a stronger presence.

"How?" Sephiroth asked, aloud, narrowing his eyes. This wasn't Cloud's doing, it couldn't be. But the fact was undeniable – someone, somehow, had stopped him in his tracks before the memory could be taken. Sephiroth closed his eyes and reached his powers out again. Cloud was still awake, so he couldn't enter his mind directly without being sensed, but he didn't need to. As he suspected, Cloud's mind was alive with the memories of the dream.

Careful to not give the action away, Sephiroth lashed out a mental tendril and brushed the memories. In that instant, the memories of the dream came to him, and Sephiroth surveyed the scene, looking for any clue as to how he'd been halted. The dreamscape was a photograph, unmoving as Sephiroth's presence floated through it. The memory Cloud was recalling was identical to the memory Sephiroth had attempted to pluck away, and yet this one had not been plucked. How?

He came near the still image of Cloud near the fire, and stopped. Beside Cloud, held in perfect suspension within the memory…this wasn't right, it couldn't be. This was impossible, she wasn't a part of this memory, she didn't belong here. And yet, the scene before him was unmistakable. Sitting beside Cloud, among the other wretched members of the group that had defeated him years ago, was the still image of Terra Branford. Sephiroth walked in front of the image and stared down. The memory he was in was just that, a memory of a split second, and so none of the group around the fire reacted to his presence. Sephiroth looked down at Terra, his eyes alight in a mixture of irritation and confusion.

"What are you doing to him?"


	10. Disunity

**First update since Dissidia was released! Those of you who have played the game – I envy you. I'll be getting my copy soon, but I already know the story by heart so in terms of the fanfic, I don't need it. But, if you haven't before, now that you have played the game you may notice a couple toss-outs to it here and there I'm making throughout the story. Anyway, this chapter is a bit shorter, a bit of a filler chapter. I plan to make it up to you, and I already know how to do it.**

**BTW, apparently the "Crystelle" are "Manikins". Ugh. I prefer my term for them.**

**Finally, as of this chapter, this is my longest story ever written at over 60,000 words, and I'm not even half done!**

Shards of Memory

Chapter 10

Disunity

_**"United we stand; divided we fall.**__**" -**_ Aesop

* * *

Sephiroth's footsteps echoed crisply up and down the hall in the southwest wing of the Chaos Shrine. He'd never come to this part of the shrine before, as there'd been no need for it until now. But, as distasteful as the task was, and as more distasteful he was sure it would become, it was one he had to do. He found the door he was looking for and put a hand on it to push it open. He stopped and listened, and made a face at the sound coming from inside the room. He pushed the door open to confirm his suspicions.

Kefka lay asleep in his quarters, curled up on his side with his head lying on his hands, which were neatly folded under his cheek. Sephiroth did a slight double take, and lifted an eyebrow. Kefka was asleep, and also levitating six inches off the mattress. And, as he'd heard outside the door, snoring rather loudly. Sephiroth's lip curled up at the noise. He took a breath and held out his hand. Masamune appeared in his grasp, and Sephiroth lowered the sword to tap the flat against Kefka's shoulder. Kefka's snoring degenerated into grunts and snorts for a moment, then resumed. Sephiroth let out a small growl and tapped the sword harder. He got even less of a reaction this time.

"Wretched clown, even asleep you find ways to irritate me," he muttered, moving the Masamune to the left. He smirked and waited for a moment, then slapped it against Kefka's cheek. Kefka's eyes popped open instantly, and a burst of orange energy erupted from his clasped hands. The attack caught Sephiroth off-guard, and he let out a grunt as he was flung into the wall. He held out his hands to catch himself as he fell forward, looking up at Kefka angrily. The mage blinked, yawned, and looked around the room as he fell onto the bed.

"I'm up, I'm up…wha? Sephy?" he said, scratching the back of his neck. "What are you doing in my room?"

"I'm asking myself that same question right about now," Sephiroth growled, standing up and brushing himself off.

"Fine, let me rephrase that. What the _hell_ are you doing in my room?" Kefka snapped, swinging his feet onto the floor. Now very much awake, he crossed his arms and waited. Sephiroth lifted his eyes and took a breath. Now wasn't the time.

"I need to ask you an urgent question," he said, kneeling to pick up the Masamune from the floor where he'd dropped it. "It concerns your quarry, Terra."

"What about her?"

"Tell me about her power. How strong is she? To what extents does her magic reach?"

"Why do you care?" Kefka asked, lifting an eyebrow. Sephiroth met his gaze. Kefka's usual playful and irritating demeanor was gone. The man sitting on the bed before him, though Sephiroth hadn't seen him often, was all business. Sephiroth could work with that. He preferred Kefka as a calculating schemer than a laughing jester. If nothing else, the schemer was relatively safer and easier to deal with.

"Do you know what it is I am doing to Cloud?" Sephiroth asked. He didn't want to tell Kefka any more than he needed to, but he had to tell him something or else Kefka wouldn't reciprocate.

"You're screwing with his memories or something, right?"

"Correct. However, somehow…Terra has found a way to disrupt me, as I do so."

"Huh? How the hell is she doing that?"

"Good question. And seeing as how you've more experience with her than I do, it's one you could answer better than I could."

"Uh…yeah." Kefka scrunched his face and thought. "What you do, it's some sort of…psychic thing right?"

"Yes," Sephiroth nodded. "Even if they're latent now, my cells within his body allow me to infiltrate his thoughts. But it's not true telepathy, the connection only goes one way, and it only works for Cloud."

"Right, right…well, Espers had something like that, or so we thought…" Kefka crossed his legs and set his chin on his hand. "Doc Cid had a theory of a whole subset of Esper abilities spawned from magic but separate. Telepathy, premonitions, all sorts of sixth sense junk like that. I guess, since she's half Esper…"

"Well? Did these Espers have such powers?" Sephiroth asked, intrigued further now. He was allowing his personal curiosities to get the better of him again. Terra was proving more of a mystery by the day. He was fairly sure his discreet fascination with her abilities was part of the reason he was coming to find her as irritating as her chosen adversary before him. It was a pity his power over Cloud was useless against Terra, or else she would make a fine puppet as well. But then, that was Kefka's coverage.

"We never found out, they didn't exactly tell us and all our research to find out was inconclusive," Kefka shrugged. "But, if Doc Cid was right, then Terra may have those powers too. I guess that's how she managed to meddle in your mojo."

"Lovely," Sephiroth muttered. Terra was an obstacle he didn't need to deal with, and to an extent couldn't. She was somewhat beyond his grasp, given Kefka's focus on her. Sephiroth needed to do something about her, but that would either require Kefka's help, or draw his attention. At the moment, Sephiroth wasn't sure which he wanted less, as neither was appealing. "This is a displeasing situation," he thought aloud, more referring to Kefka than Terra. "Does your Crystal give you any control over this facet of her power?"

"If it did, I would know about it and would have told ya!" Kefka said. "It's your problem, not mine. Deal with it on your own."

"It's a problem spawned by your quarry, Kefka. It's as much my problem as it is yours."

"Says you. Maybe you're just getting weak in your old age, can't control the blond as much as ya used to. I guess if I were resurrected four or five times my power might start to give out after a while too."

"If you'd prefer, I could disallow you that chance," Sephiroth said lowly, tapping the tip of the Masamune on the edge of the bed. "There are places beyond the realm of the dead, Kefka. Perhaps you need to see what they're like."

"Send me a postcard," Kefka yawned. "Now get out, ya woke me up and I need my beauty sleep."

"Well then, I apologize for interrupting that badly needed rest," Sephiroth snorted, turning to the door. "Kefka, I will not allow Terra to interfere with my manipulations of Cloud. If this becomes a great problem in the future, you and I will speak of it again. And if and when we speak again, I advise you to take the conversation seriously."

"Looking forward to it. Seriously," Kefka grinned, lifting a hand and waving. Sephiroth left the room and pulled the door shut behind him. In the hall, he rolled his head over his shoulders and sighed. Every time he spoke to Kefka, he subjected himself to pointless stress, and his muscles betrayed his tension. Kefka was unpredictable, powerful, and because he stood between Sephiroth and Terra, he was a threat. A threat that had to be neutralized before the danger it presented escalated. Kefka could either be a dangerous enemy or a valuable ally, and right now he was a bit of both. His newfound role in Sephiroth's plan was a variable that had to be dealt with.

"I ought to just kill him and be done with it," Sephiroth muttered, walking down the hall. "It would spare me a great deal of trouble." A moment later, there was an explosion, and Sephiroth whirled around to see the hall filled with smoke, dust, and the remains of what had once been a door. Through the smoke came a singsong voice echoing down the corridor.

"I heard thaaaaaaaaaat."

* * *

"Look at it," Terra whispered, her eyes wide. Before her feet the ground gave way to a sudden drop. At the bottom of the cliff, which was more a hill, stretched a large grassy plain as far as the eye could see. "Which world do you think this is from?"

"It's a plain," Cloud shrugged, standing behind her with his arms crossed. "I'm fairly sure grassy fields look the same in most worlds."

"Just asking," Terra said. "I like nature, is that a problem?"

"Sorry," Cloud replied, stepping forward. "It'd be easy to get lost, what's the plan for crossing it without losing track of north?"

"I don't have one," Terra admitted. She looked up at the sky and thought. "The sun is in the east now, but with the passage of time it could easily move to the west before we cross."

"Then we'll just have to make sure we heard north and keep going that way," Cloud said.

"How, there's a cliff in front of us and the way down is over there," Terra nodded to the left, where the hill grew smaller and eventually lead down to the plains below. "Can we climb down the hill?"

"No need." Cloud stepped in front of her and leapt. He fell the some thirty-foot drop and landed in a crouch. He stood and shifted his weight from foot to foot, then looked back up at Terra.

"Show off," she grumbled, turning and kneeling. She put a foot down onto a rock jutting from the cliff, and with a glance down at Cloud, began to climb.

"Be careful," Cloud called, watching her. Terra slowly edged her way down the rocks, feeling out each hold carefully before lowering. The tip of her boot nudged the next hold, and Cloud tensed as he saw it move. "Wait!" Terra reacted too late and lowered her foot onto the rock. The rock came free and fell from the cliff, and Terra cried out as her other foot fell too. She hung onto the cliff by her hands, her feet kicking at the wall for a hold.

"Jump back, I'll catch you, if you drop straight down you'll hurt yourself!" Cloud said. Terra nodded, and with a gasp, pushed herself back. She fell downwards, and Cloud stepped back. The half-Esper hit the SOLDIER and knocked him onto his back with a grunt. Terra lay draped across his chest, both of them gasping. She lifted her head to face him."

"Are you hurt?" she asked. Cloud licked the inside of his mouth, noting the slight coppery taste. He'd bit his tongue.

"Just my pride," he lied. Terra sat back on her heels to let Cloud sit up.

"Sorry about that, but thanks for catching me."

"No problem, always happy to oblige as a cushion."

Terra giggled slightly, and Cloud gave her an irritated look. She stopped laughing at the look and smiled. At the expression, Cloud's irritation faded, and he moved from under her and got to his feet.

"Come on, let's get moving," he mumbled, walking ahead. Terra watched him, confused, then stood and followed him. Ahead of her and facing away, Cloud reflected on the smile she'd given him. It had reminded him eerily of the smile she had given him in his dream. He'd been trying not to think about that too much. Even without Terra provoking memories of it, it hadn't gone well so far.

He still couldn't understand what it meant. He'd had a lot of strange dreams lately, but nothing like that. Rather than someone not be there, someone was there who shouldn't be. The dream felt so vivid and real, not like a dream but like he was actually reliving the memory of the event. Cloud remembered the trip to Cosmo Canyon well enough. Meeting with Bugenhagen, discovering the truth about Nanaki's father Seto, the light of the Cosmo Candle…

Cloud let out a small gasp and stopped walking. The memory…she was there. Cloud played back the memory of the stay at the canyon. She was there, not just sitting around the fire like in the dream, but throughout the stay. Terra, she was there. Sitting across from Tifa in the sleeping quarters, looking at the starscape in Bugenhagen's lab, watching Red XIII howl at his father's remains. Not a dream, a memory.

"_That's impossible,_" he thought, his concern showing on his face. The dream has been discomforting enough on top of everything that had happened. But he was wide-awake, and this was no dream. Yet, there she was. He even recalled a slight argument between her and the inn manager who refused to give them a group rate and tried to overcharge them. His prices were high even for single rooms and the fact that there was six of them sent the bill rocketing out of their price range, but Terra hadn't accepted that and had demanded a discount for staying so long. And as she had pointed out he was overcharging them compared to the other inns they'd slept at during the journey, and made a show of saying she'd rather sleep in a tent again than pay-

"What am I saying!?" Cloud said aloud, slapping a hand over his face. Terra couldn't argue with the inn manager, because she never went to Cosmos Canyon. She was from a different world, and they'd never met before this. So he couldn't possibly be remembering her traveling with him as a member of AVALANCHE! Behind him, Terra watched Cloud growled and held out a hand.

"Cloud?" she asked.

"Shut up…you can't be talking to me because you aren't here to talk to anyone!" Cloud whirled around as Terra put her hand on his shoulder, his hand falling away so he could stare at her. Terra jumped and pulled her hand back as Cloud stared at her. The look in his normally somber eyes was scary, he looked positive mad. After a moment of the crazed look, Cloud blinked and looked away, realizing what he'd just done.

"Sorry," he whispered.

"What's wrong?" Terra asked, taking a step closer.

"I just…" Cloud wondered for a moment how he was supposed to tell her. 'I had a dream about you last night and now I'm remembering you in places I shouldn't'? Terra didn't know about the dreams. He'd told her briefly about his fading memories, but exactly how they were fading he'd left out. Could he tell her that, would she even understand?

"It's…nothing," he lied.

"When you shout at me for no reason about me not being here, that's not nothing," Terra said.

"Yeah, well since when have we had to tell each other everything huh? I'll tell you about my problems when you explain that green hair thing to me!"

Terra visibly flinched, her blue eyes shooting to the bright green locks framing her face. Cloud instantly felt bad, but forced his body to turn around. It was better this way. He didn't need to burden Terra with his problems. She knew enough, she knew what he was comfortable telling her. He was losing his memories, the same as her, she had said so herself. But somehow he doubted her amnesia had come about as a result of confusing nightmares of the past.

Cloud walked away silently, hoping Terra would follow him. She had to, didn't she? They had to stick together, with the both of them dealing with their respective problems they needed to protect each other from Chaos' minions. With Onion Knight gone, they were all the other had. _"But then…I left Firion and the others, didn't I?" _Cloud thought. He'd gone off on his own to find his answers, and he'd found Terra. But Terra had questions too. What if her own search for her answers took her away from him as his had taken him from his comrades?

"_No…I can't let her," _Cloud decided. _"I need her, whatever's happening to me, she's part of it now. If I want to figure this out, I need her to stay."_ His brain argued back that she'd be more likely to stay if he didn't yell at her and close himself off to her. The guilt for his attitude towards her a moment again welled back up, and Cloud let out a sigh. His problems with the dreams and his memories were starting to effect him more than he liked.

"Cloud?" Cloud's eyes darted to the side at the sound of Terra's voice.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled, turning towards her. "I didn't mean-"

"Cloud, thanks, but…" Terra interrupted. "I don't want to sound crude, but do you smell that?" Cloud gave her an odd look and sniffed the air. He immediately recoiled and put a hand to his nose, turning away.

"Ugh, yeah," he coughed. In his head, he remembered smelling this smell before. It was a putrid, sickly scent that cloyed the air. Not a smell easy to forget or mistake. Cloud racked his brain and thought back. The last time he'd smelt this smell, it had been intertwined with the smell of…snow?

"I've smelt this before," Terra said, wrinkling her nose. Cloud ignored her and concentrated on digging through his memories. Suddenly, Cloud realized what the source of the disgusting stench was, where he had smelt it before: Gaia's cliff. Cloud lifted his head and opened his mouth to warn Terra, when the ground between them erupted into the air.

With a snarl, the Malboro rose from the ground and lashed its tentacles out. Cloud cried out as two of them wrapped around his legs and dragged him into the air. From his vantage point he saw what he'd missed before in his earlier brooding; a ditch dug into the ground, several feet deep and wide. The Malboro must have made its den digging through the side of one. The dark green tentacles turned Cloud around, and he found himself face-to-face with the creature's mouth. Cloud wrinkled his nose, the overpowering smell of decay even stronger now. He wasn't sure what world this Malboro came from, but apparently they were all the same. The large fang-filled mouth, green tentacles and putrid stench characterized this one as they had all the others Cloud had fought on Gaia's cliff years ago. Yup, definitely a Malboro. Great. Cloud hated Malboros.

The Malboro let out a gurgled cry, and Cloud turned his head to see Terra spraying a blast of flame at the Malboro's side. The Malboro likewise turned its mouth to Terra, and sent a tentacle snapping towards her. Terra flung out her hand and blasted the tentacle back with another flash of fire, and two more slithered closer in its wake. Cloud reached his hand behind his back – an awkward move given he was upside down – and grabbed the handle of the Buster Sword. With a cry, he swung it forward and up, the tip of the sword cutting into the tentacles around his ankles. The Malboro screeched again and loosened its grip, causing Cloud to drop to the ground. He rolled to the side and looked up. The creature seemed torn over which human to focus on, the one that had just cut off its tentacles or the one who was burning more tentacles that reached for her.

Cloud charged forward, and the Malboro made its decision. Three tentacles snapped out to knock Terra away, and the Malboro turned to Cloud. Cloud leapt up, Buster Sword held high, and the Malboro lifted its mouth. Drool dripped from between its gigantic teeth as the mouth opened, and Cloud realized what was next. With a hissing sound, a cloud of thick brown smoke poured from the Malboro's mouth. The air around Cloud went opaque, and he lost his momentum and tumbled to the ground. His eyes burned, his skin tingled, his stomach rumbled, and his mouth had a horrible taste in it. Cloud let go of the Buster Sword and clamped his hands over his mouth to avoid breathing in the fumes. He still remembered when Barret and Yuffie had accidentally gotten caught in the Malboro's breath and breathed it in…it wasn't a pleasant memory for them.

"Cloud!" Terra called out, climbing to her feet. Terra looked up at the Malboro and held out her hands. A large orb of fire erupted from her palms and slammed into its head. The Malboro lurched forward, the sickly green skin on the back of its head singed, then turned around. Another flurry of tentacles flew at Terra. A second blast of flame destroyed several of them, but more burst through the smoke and wrapped around Terra's arms. Terra pulled against her bonds, the Malboro lifting her into the air. Thick white drool dripped from its mouth, and Terra could swear she saw the monstrosity's mouth curl into a grin. With a gurgled roar of delight, the Malboro pulled Terra closer to its gaping maw…

Then, the Buster Sword burst through the back of its throat.

Terra gasped suddenly as the broadsword's blade emerged within the Malboro's mouth, glistening with saliva and blood. Behind the Malboro, Cloud coughed within the clearing cloud of toxic breath, and pulled the sword back out. The Malboro thrashed about for a moment, blood leaking out of both ends of the wound. Cloud leapt into the air, twirling the Buster Sword over his head. Wisps of blue energy surrounded the blade as Cloud gripped it with both hands and brought it down. The Buster Sword effortlessly cleaved through the Malboro's skull, sliding down through its mouth and into its main body. The Malboro's shrieks peaked, and then died down. The two halves of its head slumped to the sides, and the tentacles holding Terra in the air slackened and fell to the ground, Terra landing beside them.

"Cloud?" Terra called, running around the Malboro's corpse. Cloud took a shaky step towards her, and stumbled. Terra caught him as he fell against her. "What's wrong?" she asked, holding him back to face him.

"Breath…" Cloud muttered, his eyes bloodshot. "Got a good…dose…"

"Oh no," Terra gasped. She remembered the foray into Kefka's tower years ago, and the Malboros that wandered the ruins. Terra still remembered the effects of their breath, a list of symptoms that read like the label on a package of Remedy powder. If Cloud had inhaled it, he had a rough night and tomorrow ahead of him. "How do you feel?" she asked. If he hadn't inhaled too much of the toxins, she could try to heal them, or at least speed up his recovery.

"Uh…dizzy, itchy, sore throat…having trouble seeing…feel kinda nau…nau…" Cloud's eyes widened, and he pushed Terra aside to fall on the grass. Terra fell onto her backside as Cloud snapped his head and vomited. He coughed, sucked in a breath, then rolled onto his side, unconscious. Terra crawled over to him and sighed.

"Thanks for getting me out of the way, at least," she whispered, forcing a smile. He didn't seem to be that bad off, feeling the effects but they could have been much worse. She could work with that. Terra laid her hands on Cloud's chest and closed her eyes. Her hands glowed with white energy, and Cloud's ragged breaths began to even out a bit. Terra pulled back her hands and turned to look back at Cloud's face.

"You'll be okay, just need some rest," she whispered, reaching out to brush his bangs from his face. Terra stood and looked around the grassy plain. It seemed that today's journey had come to a premature end.

* * *

"A problem has arisen. I require your assistance."

"Enlighten me as to why I ought to care, and why I ought to help."

Sephiroth waited for Mateus to answer, standing impassively at the top of the Chaos Shrine. Mateus lifted his free hand to rub his temple, and sat down on the throne against the wall.

"Jecht. He has left us. He says he will no longer associate with us."

"Is that so?" Sephiroth asked. "What does he plan to do now?"

"I do not know. He desires the same end as us, but not the means."

"Meaning?"

"Jecht is a simple creature, Sephiroth," Mateus closed his eyes and smirked. "Do you think Chaos does not sense the light within his heart? Jecht desires to rebuild the world the darkness has destroyed. With a few minor variations, of course. The Jecht and Tidus we know are mere figments of a dream, a dream that met its end. Were Jecht to have his way, he would remake his world with the dream a reality."

"How hopelessly benevolent," Sephiroth muttered. "Chaos senses this and allows him to fight alongside us?"

"Yes. Though Jecht may strut and preen as some heroic martyr, in the end he is bound to Chaos, as are we all. He cannot defy the will of a god and will serve his purposes whether he wants to or not. His defiance is not my concern, with us or not, he will inevitably be drawn to his final destiny."

"Which is?"

"Tidus, of course. Jecht is tied to Chaos, and the god of discord has willed that in the end we will all face our chosen adversaries. Jecht is no different."

"If Jecht is still compelled to do Chaos' will, why is he a problem?" Sephiroth asked.

"He is a problem because while only his destination is set, his course is not. He is a dangerous variable we cannot allow to go unchecked. He could too easily disrupt our plans for the Warriors of Cosmos again. Sephiroth, already Jecht has interfered with your schemes. Would you leave him loose to do so again?" Mateus looked at Sephiroth expectantly, and Sephiroth thought for a moment. Mateus had a point.

"What would you have me do then?" Sephiroth asked. He hated to almost ask for orders, but he had to admit that Mateus had trumped him. Mateus clearly knew more about the situation than he did, Sephiroth would have to follow the emperor's direction this time.

"We need to reign Jecht in, bring him back to the fold," Mateus said. "Only when he is close can we keep an eye on him. I need you to go to him and convince him it would be in his best interests to return."

"Convince? With diplomacy?" Sephiroth prompted. Mateus smiled.

"Use your imagination," he replied. Sephiroth snorted. He had suspected as much.

"So that's it. You want me to be your attack dog to leash in a stray," Sephiroth accused. "I've other matters to concern myself with. Find another to be your hound, I have Cloud and…others, to deal with." Sephiroth stayed silent about the recent role Terra had shown in his plan. Mateus didn't need to know about that, it was a potential wild card that Sephiroth may have a use for later.

"Then I shall assume you have an alternative to present?" Mateus said. Sephiroth paused, and then lifted his head. Mateus followed his gaze up to the roof of the Chaos Shrine.

"Oops, sorry," Kefka shrugged. The mage was levitating upside down on the ceiling, making a show of reclining against the top of a wall. "Am I interrupting something?"

"How long have you been up there?" Mateus asked dryly. Kefka flipped right side up and jumped down to the floor.

"Long enough that I can't see straight," he mumbled, stumbling slightly. "What I miss?"

"I am in need of someone to take on a task that requires a bit of aggressive persuasion," Mateus said, sweeping his staff through the air. "Kefka, what would you say if I were to ask that you track down the run amok Jecht?" Kefka grinned and held up his hands, two fireballs appearing in his palms.

"I'd say 'medium or well done'."

"I don't want him dead."

"Even by accident?"

"No."

"Damn," Kefka crossed his arms and made a face. "Why me? I don't capture, I torture, thrash and kill, not always in that order."

"Golbez has other duties assigned to him at the time, the Cloud of Darkness and Kuja are concerned with their respective opponents, and Garland is busy elsewhere."

"Wow…that's all that's left?" Kefka said. "Damn we suck."

"You're right, all we have left is the seven of us now," Sephiroth said, trying to cool his temper. It seemed the more time he spent near Kefka, the easier it was for the clownish mage to antagonize him, even if it wasn't on purpose. "Which is why we have to bring Jecht back."

"And why can't you do it?" Kefka snapped.

"As I said, I've other matters I must focus my energy on," Sephiroth growled.

"Yeah, like that Terra chick stopping ya, huh?" Kefka yawned.

"Beg pardon?" Mateus asked, turning to Kefka. Sephiroth closed his eyes. Damn him.

"Yeah, Terra threw some sort of mental monkey wrench in his plans last night. Stopped him cold, got him all shaking in his boots," Kefka laughed. "Take it from me Sephy, she may be a girl but she's a lot stronger than she looks."

"I am not frightened of Terra by any measure," Sephiroth said sternly. "I am simply careful. This was a complication I did not anticipate, and I need to decide how to handle and overcome in the best way possible."

"And overcome them you shall," Mateus nodded. "We must all follow the paths set for us, or all is for naught. Sephiroth, you have your path. You must destroy Cloud's mind and leave a tool for us to use."

"Don't lecture me, Mateus," Sephiroth sneered. "There is no path set for me. I choose my path as I see fit."

"Do you now?" Mateus chuckled. "Believe what you will then. In the meantime, Kefka, you would see to Jecht?"

"Fine," Kefka said. "Can I at least thrash him a bit before I bring him back?"

"As long as he lives, do whatever you wish."

"Awesome," Kefka snickered, a dark gleam in his eyes. There was a creak, and the three villains turned to the front of the Chaos Shrine. Garland stepped inside and looked up at them silently.

"The emissary returns," Mateus nodded. "What news from Chaos' realm, Garland?" the armored knight gave the emperor a dark look and didn't answer. "Is something wrong?" Mateus asked.

"Yeah, what's up!" Kefka snapped. "Come on guy, who died?" Garland turned his gaze to Kefka, and answered.

"….Kuja."

"He has fallen?" Mateus asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Defeated by Zidane, yet again," Garland nodded.

"And the Crystal of their world?" Sephiroth asked.

"In the thief's hands."

The shrine fell silent for a moment. Then, Kefka's shoulders slumped, and he let out a breath.

"Damn, we _really_ suck," he said.

"With Jecht's abandonment, there are only six of us left," Mateus thought aloud. "Comrades, the time for petty bickering has ended. We cannot let personal emotions and vendettas interfere again. We remaining Warriors of Chaos must combine our strengths."

"The first manner of business is to reign Jecht back in," Sephiroth said.

"I shall deal with the deserter," Garland growled, clenching his fist. "He will learn first-hand what it means to dare defy the will of a god."

"Cool, I'm free then," Kefka said, crossing his arms. "I've got an idea for Terra, I was thinking-"

"No," Mateus shook his head. "We will not stand divided and be cut down one by one. That is how our numbers have dwindled this far. As I said, we must put aside our differences and unite against the common foes. Sephiroth. Kefka. You both share common foes, and not dissimilar goals for them. And thus you two shall work towards these goals together."

"What?" Sephiroth growled. He had to be joking. "I will not work alongside this irritating clown!"

"Oh yeah, and partnering up with you has been my fantasy," Kefka snapped back.

"Enough!" Mateus shouted. "I don't care what your personal feelings are, if it pleases you feel free to destroy each other, _after_ you destroy Cloud and Terra."

"This cannot…Garland!" Sephiroth called, turning to the knight. Garland would provide him an escape. He could not, would not, lower himself to work with Kefka. "What would Chaos say of this alliance?"

"Actually, since you asked, Chaos has been pondering the usefulness of such an alliance for some time," Garland replied. "Given the prey has joined forces, it follows that so should their hunters."

"Then it is settled," Mateus nodded. "Sephiroth, your protection under Golbez for your plan is Kefka's task now. Golbez has other duties I'd have him take on anyway. And Kefka, you will assist Sephiroth in his plan as best you are able and further your own plans with his assistance as well. I trust this arrangement is an acceptable one?" Mateus waited for an answer. Kefka shrugged, and Sephiroth curled up his lip. "Excellent."

"Now that that is done, Mateus, I would speak to you privately," Garland said.

"Of course. Excuse me, gentlemen." Mateus followed Garland into another part of the Chaos Shrine. Sephiroth watched them go, seething. How could they do this to him? Kefka guard him? The whole reason he needed guarding was so his concentration wouldn't be disrupted, Kefka was as disruptive as he could imagine! Sephiroth heard movement, and turned to see Kefka standing directly behind him, grinning.

"So…watcha' thinking?" he asked. Sephiroth made a face.

"I think I feel sick to my stomach," he ground out.

"Sucks to be you!" Kefka laughed. It took all of Sephiroth's restraint to keep from striking him, and he forced himself to walk down the ramp of the Chaos Shrine. Kefka rubbed his hands together and snickered.

"Oh yeah…this is gonna be _fun._"

**Next chapter, a certain surprise for you! I've been looking forward to it for some time now. I can't tell you what it is, but let me promise you, there's an awesome fight scene coming up you won't want to miss!**


	11. The Eternal Cycle

**Just a note, as of last chapter, this story is the longest I've ever written, and as of this chapter is over 70,000 words! And I don't think I'm even half done!**

**As promised, a surprised guest in this chapter. The chapter is a bit shorter otherwise.**

**EDIT - A flashback part of the chapter wasn't properly noted, the site removed the coding. If you're reading this, it has been fixed.  
**

Shards of Memory

Chapter 11

The Eternal Cycle

_**"I feel pity for those fools that prayed for the annihilation of evil. Their efforts are worthy, but nonetheless still futile."**_– Alfredo Balgua

* * *

"You need not worry for him. His spirit is strong, he will recover quickly."

"That's good, I did the best I could to heal him. I just feel bad, he got that breath attack while trying to save me."

Within the inky blackness of the night, Terra heard the visitor shift his weight for a moment. She had made a camp fire and continued to help heal Cloud's illness in the aftermath of the Malboro's attack, when in the dead of the night the fire had gone out, and in the darkness of the plain Terra's mysterious visitor from the forest came to her a second time. Terra could hear him behind her, but even when she turned she would only see the faintest outline of his profile against the sky.

"Do not despair, as I have said he will recover. You need to concern yourself with the trials ahead rather than focus on the trials that have passed. If you continue on past this plain tomorrow, you will arrive at the city I directed you to," the dark figure said.

"And then what?" Terra asked, looking over her shoulder at the figure. "Why did you tell me to go there?"

"There is someone there you must meet."

"Who?"

"It is not for me to say."

"How do I know this isn't a trap?" Terra asked. "I don't even know who you are. You could be one of Chaos' minions directing me into an attack."

"Or I could be one of Cosmos' allies directing you to a Crystal," the figure countered. "Perhaps I'm both. Or neither. Judge me however you like, it won't change what I have come to tell you."

"Which is what?" Terra asked. On the ground in front of her, Cloud whimpered in his sleep and began to stir. Terra turned back to him and lifted her hand to his forehead. He was clammy still, but his fever had broken. The figure behind her was right, Cloud would be fine in time. Terra channeled more curative magic into her palm and into Cloud, and he calmed down and stopped moving.

"You and Cloud are about to be in more danger than before," the figure said. "Your enemies combine their efforts to destroy the two of you. You must be on your guard to survive the trials that lie ahead. Success will bring both of you closer to retrieving your Crystals. Failure will end your quest for good."

"And that's different from any other trials we've faced so far?" Terra scoffed. "We won't fail, we can't. The worlds are depending on us, we can't let them down."

"You underestimate the danger you're in," the figure warned.

"I'm facing Kefka. I don't have any illusions about how dangerous he is."

"Of course not. But it is not only Kefka who stands in your way, girl. There are others who aspire to destroy you as well, others you do not even know of yet. What will you do when they come for you?"

"Fight. It's what I was called by the Crystals for," Terra said. "To fight for them in the face of darkness. And I will win." The figure chuckled softly.

"Your courage is great. Such hope will be of use to you in the future. It will see you through the darkest night, if you can hold onto it."

"What do you mean?" Terra asked. "Why wouldn't I?"

"I am afraid it is not just the Warriors of Chaos you must fear. I have heard rumors of another, who would–" The figure was cut off by a loud rumbling. Terra cried out as the ground shook beneath her, and Cloud let out a sharp gasp. A moment later, the earthquake stopped as quickly as it had begun. Terra fell forward, putting out a hand to stop herself from landing on Cloud's stomach. She lifted her other hand to her chest to try and calm her heart.

"What…was that?" she asked.

"The darkness. It spreads and deepens by the second, and as it grows in power it will grow faster. This world is running out of time…continue north to the city. When you arrive, you will be faced with an unexpected challenge. Overcome it, and your way will be shown to you." Terra turned as the figure vanished in a crackle of dark electricity, leaving her alone in the night. Terra turned back to the extinguished pile of smoldering logs in front of her and held out her hand, setting them alight again with a small burst of heat.

_"Another…what?"_ she thought, staring at the empty space behind her. The figure's unfinished sentence lingered uneasily in her mind and refused to be brushed aside. What could he have meant, that it wasn't just Chaos' minions that she needed to fear? He couldn't have meant the Crystelles, they were no real threat unless they attacked en masse. Was there something else to watch out for then? The Malboro attack earlier that day had reminded her that Chaos' forces weren't the only enemy presence. Were there other, stronger monsters too? Was that what the figure had meant?

Terra closed her eyes and focused, extending her aura out. The pulse of magical energy she and Cloud had been tracking was stronger now, that was to be expected. It was in the same place as when she'd first sensed it, she was certain of that. But the pulse of power felt…wrong. Drained, a shadow of its former power. It reminded Terra of the pulse of energy she'd felt in the church where she'd met Cloud. Was the power she sensing the same as that power, a place from Cloud's world?

_"But this power is stronger than in the church…maybe the Crystal of Cloud's world is there?"_ Terra thought. It was a hopeful thought. She hadn't forgotten about Onion Knight's capture, and didn't know what fate had befallen him. Finding a Crystal would be a welcome ray of hope. Either hers or Cloud's would be a relief, but Terra had to admit she felt selfish hoping she found hers if any. She had to get her powers under control, the strain of Kefka's manipulations had worn off and the Esper was beginning to grow restless again.

_"Maybe that's what he meant,"_ Terra's face fell slightly as she thought back to the unspoken threat the mysterious figure had alluded to. _"My Esper powers…maybe I'm the danger to watch out for…"_

There was a murmur, and Terra looked down. Cloud shifty slightly, his eyelids fluttering.

"Cloud?" Terra asked, leaning down. Cloud opened his eyes slightly.

"T…Terra?" he whispered. "What happened?"

"You breathed in Malboro breath," Terra said softly, lifting a hand to his forehead. "Remember?"

"Uh…I think," Cloud said, licking his lips. "Where are we?"

"We stopped for the night after you got attacked, it's late now," Terra explained. "You'll be alright, you just need rest. Go back to sleep."

"Right," Cloud nodded slightly and closed his eyes. "'kay, I trust you…" Terra watched him silently as Cloud fell back asleep, and smiled.

"Thank you."

* * *

"Hooooome, sweet home," Kefka sighed, leaping up onto a catwalk. "Ya like what I've done with the place?" Kefka called, the cry echoing through the metal walls around him. He leaned over the railing of the catwalk to look at Sephiroth looking about the room from the entrance on a lower floor. The former SOLDIER noted the room's various catwalks, piping fixtures and computer consoles with glass capsules nearby. Obviously once a factory or research facility of some kind, though he didn't care enough to guess it's purpose. It reminded him of the interior of a Mako reactor, or some other Shinra contraption.

After Mateus' unfortunate edict that he and Kefka were to work together, Sephiroth had begun seeking another base of operations to relocate to besides the Chaos Shrine. He had told Mateus he stood a better chance of controlling Cloud if he were closer to him, which wasn't a lie, but mostly he wanted to get away from the emperor before he made another announcement that Sephiroth would make him regret. Kefka had suggested what he referred to as "his place".

Kefka's "place", Sephiroth had found out not long ago, was a towering spire of rubble and debris rising some distance southeast of the Chaos Shrine. As Sephiroth had heard as Kefka lead him to the tower's highest chambers, Kefka had created the tower when he ruined his world and ripped the continents apart, building it haphazardly from choice bits of scrap from around the planet. Sephiroth had been surprised at first to see a lavish throne room opens its doors to a dirt path set along a piece of twisted railroad track, but such oddities, he soon learned, were commonplace in this tower of rubble and ruins.

"Hmph. This "place" is rather bizarre. A horrid mismatch of gorgeous architectural stylings with otherwise random trash. It's amazing it's lasted this long without falling apart. I'd say it suits you." Kefka shrugged.

"Thanks, I'm a simple man with simple tastes," he replied. Sephiroth snorted.

"That wasn't meant to be a compliment."

"Hey, you said you needed somewhere quiet and closer to them than the Shrine, right!?" Kefka snapped, gnashing his teeth. "So will this do or what?" Sephiroth considered. He had only Kefka to worry about here, no one else was around to disturb his concentration. Kefka would still likely prove a distraction, but with his closer proximity to Cloud, said distraction would be more manageable.

"It will do," Sephiroth nodded. "Just be sure you don't disturb me while I work."

"Right right right. So come on, start working that mojo and get mind-cracking!" Kefka said. Sephiroth shot him a glare, then closed his eyes. Cloud was asleep, but his mind was consumed in a fever. His thoughts were jumbled and incoherent, and Sephiroth had to pull back.

"I can't, not yet. His mind is too disoriented at the moment to enter it safely."

"That blows," Kefka muttered. "My turn to play then."

"Yours?" Sephiroth opened his eyes and looked at Kefka. The mage grinned and cracked his knuckles.

"I've been a bit bored with you guys lately. I was thinking of heading out to have a little fun with Terra during the day," Kefka said.

"As long as you don't harm Cloud, do as you wish," Sephiroth replied.

"Oh goodie," Kefka snickered, a glowing red and black Magicite shard appearing in the air in front of him. "Did ya hear that guy, we're gonna go play with Terra again!" he whispered, tapping a finger on the side of the Crystal.

"It's a Crystal, it doesn't understand you," Sephiroth muttered. Kefka scowled and waved his hand, the item vanishing.

"Shows what you know!" he said. He opened his mouth to continue, then cocked an eyebrow and whirled his head around. Sephiroth followed his eyes to a dark portal opening further down the catwalk. Emperor Mateus stepped out from the portal, looking around the room and sniffing.

"Good morning, gentlemen," he nodded. "Sephiroth, are Kefka's accommodations, accommodating?" Sephiroth thought about the Emperor's entrance for a moment.

"You told me a magic field stopped us from teleporting here directly," Sephiroth growled, turning an eye to Kefka. "Why did you lie to me and make us scale the tower the hard way?"

"I thought your expression would be funny," Kefka shrugged. Sephiroth narrowed his eyes and sneered. "Yeah that's it," he laughed.

"Pardon the interruption," Mateus sighed, lifting a hand to his temple, "but I came to inform you of something urgent."

"Oh yeah, what?" Kefka snapped. Mateus swung his staff in front of him, a scrying stone appearing in the air. He reached out his free hand and let the stone drop into his palm.

"The day has dawned, and your targets have continued on their journey," Mateus said, an image appearing in the stone of Terra and Cloud. "But there is a problem."

"Which is?" Sephiroth asked. Mateus made a motion with his staff, and the image of Cloud and Terra pulled back into the air.

"Behold, they travel north. And look at what awaits them," Mateus said. Sephiroth and Kefka leaned closer. "They are approaching his domain."

"Is he there?" Sephiroth asked.

"Why wouldn't he be?" Mateus replied.

"Daaaamn…he'll kill them won't he?" Kefka growled.

"No, he is but a specter, he can cause them harm but he cannot destroy them. My concern is not for their safety, though. He is a wild card, and so we cannot know his actions. There is no telling what disruption he will cause the paths we have charted for those two. He knows the truth of the war, if he were to tell them, their paths could change and then our plans must be recalculated."

"So what do we do?" Sephiroth asked. Mateus closed his eyes.

"Nothing. We cannot get there before they will, and we have no control over him. Let us simply hope he does not say anything we'll regret."

* * *

"Look!" Terra pointed ahead, and Cloud lifted his head and blinked. He still felt a bit woozy after the Malboro attack, but he was mostly feeling good, all things considered. His vision blurred for a second as he focused on where Terra was pointing. Rising from the grassy plains ahead of them was the outline of a city. Cloud turned to Terra, and the grass beside him was empty. He looked ahead to see her sprinting towards the city.

"H-hey!" he called, running after her. The two ran across the plain until the grass below gave way to tiled path. Terra slowed to a stop and gazed at the city before her. A long, tiled path traveled to a massive gateway. To the sides of the path lay several smaller doors and small steps leading to other passages. The city was massive, easily as large as Vector, possibly even larger. The city was completely different though. While Vector was a place of dark malice, this city was stunningly beautiful.

The architecture was both functional and aesthetically pleasing, sloping doorways, ornate metal gates and smooth red and blue pillars holding up the roof that covered the city passages to the sides of the main path. The path below their feet was a mosaic with colored tile pieces forming an intricate pattern up and down its length. Palm trees rose from pots set against the walls, and wall alcoves held smaller hanging plants that dangled down the wall below. Above the wall of the gate ahead, Terra saw the spires of some sort of palace or castle rise in the distance.

"Do you recognize this place?" Terra asked as Cloud came up beside her. Cloud shook his head. Terra slowly stepped forward again, closing her eyes. "I feel…there's a source of power here," she whispered. "In the city…"

"What is it?" Cloud asked.

"I'm not sure, but it feels…different." Terra opened her eyes and walked down the path to the large gate leading further into the city. "Stand back," she ordered. Cloud watched as Terra held up her hands in front of her, palms held out to the gate. Suddenly, she grunted, and a light blue aura appeared over her. Terra's face grew strained as she concentrated. The same blue aura rippled into place over the gate, and with a slow creak, the gate parted and slid apart. It only opened a few feet before Terra collapsed to her knees, panting.

"You okay?" Cloud asked as he kneeled beside her. Terra nodded and took a breath.

"Yes, it was just more difficult than I thought," she said, standing up. "Come on."

Terra and Cloud walked through the gate to find a large staircase leading further into the city. Terra took the steps two at a time, eager to find the source of the power she sensed. As she crested the stairs, a large, square plaza stretched before her. Banners, pillars, shops and more walkways ran around the perimeter. In the middle of the square rose many tall, leafy palm trees around a tall stone water fountain. Cloud and Terra stopped before the trees, and Cloud looked around.

"Well?" he asked, nodding his head. Terra looked at the various paths branching off further into the city. "Which way?" he asked, looking at her. Terra frowned and lowered her head, a strange look on her face.

"Do you feel that?" she whispered, lifting a hand to her chest.

"Feel what?" Cloud asked, growing concerned. Terra lifted her head and looked up at him.

"There's someone else here," she said. Deep laughter sounded from behind them, and Cloud spun around, hand on the hilt of the Buster Sword. Terra turned a moment later, and the two looked at a long downwards-leading staircase at one end of the plaza. Slowly, the sound of moving metal reached their ears, growing louder with each step.

At the top of the stairs, a man stepped onto the plaza. A long, dark cape flowed from his back, and he wore a suit of heavy, dark armor, covering his entire body save for his head. His face was stern, with dark eyes and closely cut blond hair. The man stepped closer towards Terra and Cloud, stopping several feet in front of them. The man closed his eyes and smiled, lifting his hands and clapping slowly.

"Well done, young lady," he called. "I would have expected no less of a Warrior of Cosmos."

"Who are you?" Cloud demanded. "Are you on Chaos' side?" The man opened his eyes and crossed his gauntlet-covered arms.

"Such a simple-minded question," he muttered, his smile vanishing. "Is the only measure of a man the side he chooses? My 'side', whelp, is whichever one I deem worthy of housing my steel. But if you must pin one of your labels upon me, then it was the god of discord who summoned me here, though it was so long ago."

"So, you fight for Chaos then," Cloud said, drawing the Buster Sword.

"Hmph. You ought to pay better attention in the future boy. I was called by Chaos here eons ago, I harbor no loyalty to him now, no more than I pledge to Cosmos," the man replied.

"Who are you?" Terra asked. The man turned his eyes back to her.

"I am many things to many people, and depending on who you ask they'll each give a different answer, some more correct than others. My name, young lady, at least the one by which I was most well known while I was alive, is Gabranth, Judge Magister of the Archadian Empire."

"And why have you come to us, Gabranth?" Terra continued. Cloud gave her an irritated look.

"What are you doing?" he demanded. Terra looked back with the same expression.

"If he were planning to attack us, he'd likely had done it by now," she said. "But I don't think he means us any harm." Gabranth chuckled.

"You are only half right. I've not yet decided if I intend to harm you, but I haven't yet ruled it out. To answer your question boy, I sensed someone stepping into the city. I investigated to find out who it was. A Warrior of Cosmos, or of Chaos."

"Why would the Warriors of Chaos have to look for you if you're one of them?" Cloud asked.

"Because I've no interest in fighting for the god of discord, young man. I've seen the futility of the war you fight and will not be drawn into such wasteful activities. Like many of your foes I died long ago and see no point in wasting my afterlife fighting wars too much like those I fought in life," Gabranth said. "As with all wars, this one will end and inevitably give rise to another in time. There is no point playing a game with no winner, even the game of a god."

"You're wrong," Terra said, taking a step forward. "This war is not futile. Once we find the Crystal, we can destroy Chaos and end the war." As Terra finished, Gabranth let out a loud laugh.

"Is that what you think? Is that what Cosmos has told you?" he asked. "I fear you've been deceived, warriors. Did Cosmos tell you that when you defeated Chaos, the worlds would be restored? And that the friends and family you fight to restore, they'd have no memories of this war?"

"Yes, she did…" Cloud whispered. How could Gabranth know this?

"Well, in that aspect, she is truthful. Prevail and your worlds will be restored, this is true. But, tell me, warriors," Gabranth's face darkened as he stepped forward. "If Cosmos tells the truth, and when this war ends your worlds and friends will be restored, and their memories gone…who is to say this has not happened before? If no one but you will remember this, how do you know others were not called to battle before you were?"

"You mean…" Terra gasped. "This is not the first time?"

"No, it's happened dozens of times, perhaps hundreds. Chaos summons ten warriors to serve him and seize the Crystals of their respective worlds. The light shrinks, and from that light ten warriors chosen by Cosmos arise to defend the Crystals and restore order. The flow of battle is as predictable as the tides, and as unrelenting."

"How do you know this? What are you?" Terra asked.

"I am a specter of a memory that even time has forgotten. Once upon a time I cut the veins of a kingdom and left a trail of blood in my wake, until my past caught up with me." Gabranth lowered his eyes, his lip curling slightly. "For years I had awaited the day to face the wrong who had shamed me and my parents, and to cut him down with my own sword. I had dreamed about slaying the one who abandoned my homeland to destruction. I faced my own brother in battle, twice. Twice I was bested, twice disgraced, and twice spared. And yet still I died." Gabranth lifted his eyes. "And then, I was revived to serve Chaos, and seize the Crystal of my world. Once before it had been my brother who struck me down. This time, it was…her."

* * *

_"Cryst of the gods, or at least it once was…and so taken, so that mankind may take control of time and remake his history," Gabranth said, staring up at the large pedestal in front of him. Once upon a time, atop this, the massive tower across the sea, an equally impressive shard of Nethicite had rested here. At least, it had laid here until it, or rather, a smaller version of it, was seized as the Crystal of his world. And so once again, the Sun-Cryst called a guardian to reclaim it._

_"Gabranth!"_

_At the sound of his name, Gabranth turned to look at the woman who stood on the balcony at the other side of the tower, glaring at him fiercely. Gabranth smiled as she began walking towards him._

_"Welcome Lady Ashe, you honor me with your presence," he said, crossing his arms. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" Across the chamber of the Sun-Cryst, Ashelia B'nargin Dalmasca narrowed her eyes at the Judge and scowled._

_"Do not play games, Gabranth! I am here to do what Basch ought to have done once before, and end your treachery!" Ashe put a hand to her shoulder and drew her sword forward. Gabranth's smile vanished._

_"Hmph. You would put me to death? You do not possess the strength or the resolve to kill me! You said so yourself, Basch did not have the heart to end my life, or the hand to use to do so. How can you expect to succeed where he faltered?"_

_"Basch was many things. A loyal guardian, a great warrior and a wise leader. But for sparing you Gabranth, he was a fool," Ashe spat. "He thought you capable of redemption, that inside your heart still lurked the brother he loved. And for you to betray him so and condemn our world, you do nothing but prove him wrong. You will find I possess no such handicap of sentimentality!"_

_"Such a violet young woman you are," Gabranth laughed. "Do you so crave death you come seek it by your own will? Are you so pathetic lady Ashe, that you would fight for lost causes in the name of forgotten men? I thought better of you than that."_

_"I would say the same of you, Gabranth," Ashe said. Gabranth's laughter died, and he sneered._

_"To throw your life away for such a foolish battle…" he snorted, snapping a hand out to the side. With a flash of light, the judge's twin-bladed sword appeared in his grasp. "So be it. Let the deed be recorded, that two descendants of the Dynast-King were slain by the same hand, and both met death clinging desperately to false hope."_

_"It shall be recorded, that the King-slayer was brought to justice at the hands of his daughter," Ashe replied. "A death in battle is the only honor you deserve, Gabranth, and it is my honor to deliver it." Gabranth smiled, then twirled his weapon in the air and drew it back over his shoulder._

_"Then come and deliver my death to me, princess. If you can."_

* * *

"The wretched little princess my brother had once guarded was chosen to oppose me," Gabranth said, watching Cloud and Terra intensely. "I had faced her before and was prepared to destroy her and finish the job I had begun with her father. I was a fool. I underestimated her. When the time came she bested me in battle, and though she had changed from when she first met she was still not so merciful to grant me the pardon her guardian had once before. I died a second time and she claimed her Crystal, and eventually our world was restored to light. And yet the darkness endures. And so new warriors were inevitably gathered for another battle."

"But, if the war is endless," Terra said, "then what will happen when we collect the Crystals?"

"Oh, if you do so you will kill Chaos, young lady. But it is in victory, that the falsity of your quest shall be revealed. Whenever one of the gods falls, whenever the war nears it end, regardless of which side is the superior…it is then, that history begins anew." Gabranth closed his eyes and crossed his arms, stopping his walk several feet in front of Terra and Cloud.

"You see…there is a being. A creature of infinite power, whose wings stretch beyond the borders of time and space, and whose claws grab at the edges of reality and tear at the very fabric of existence. A creature that exists outside of such limited terms like light and darkness, good and evil, harmony and discord. Whenever the war begins to reach its head, this beast awakens and purges all existence. It destroys all, so that all may be restored, gods, mortals, worlds and Crystals alike. When this war ends, it is this creature that will restore the worlds and the gods, so that the war may continue."

"That creature…what is it?" Cloud asked. Gabranth bowed his head.

"The beast that cleanses all in its holy flame, the monster that has trapped all existence in an endless, meaningless cycle of war and destruction. The one being that transcends all else, stronger than Chaos and Cosmos combined. The great divine dragon that travels dimensions…Shinryu."

"Shinryu…" Terra breathed.

"Shinryu, the divine dragon. Already the rumblings of the worlds caught in darkness begin to stir him from his slumber. And when he awakens he will come forth to spew his flame on this torn world, and from that flame he will forge the worlds anew. The gods will be reforged with them, and so the war will one day begin again," Gabranth said. "So you see, your efforts are futile. It does not matter if you win or lose, it does not matter which God prevails. In the end, Shinryu will restore the balance one way or the other."

"You're lying!" Cloud accused.

"I wish I were, that my spirit may be set free and the worlds released. But no, boy, I speak true. Your trials and battles are irrelevant before the claws of the divine dragon. The best thing you can do for your worlds now is to surrender, and give up this foolish façade. The faster the worlds sink into oblivion, the greater their rumbling grows and the sooner Shinryu will awaken. It is best to let Chaos play his ill-fated war out, and get it over with."

"You're just trying to make us give up!" Cloud said. "We aren't idiots, Gabranth!" Beside Cloud, Terra lowered her head and closed her eyes.

"If that were so, then you would accept the truth of my words!" Gabranth replied. "Why continue fighting for a cause that cannot be won? Pathetic fools like you are lucky to even have a future, do not pretend you can protect it with your feeble power. It's just empty bravado. You blindly place your faith in gods, and you will learn soon the fate of despair that awaits you!"

"No…" Terra whispered. Gabranth and Cloud turned their attention to her as she spoke. "Let's say you are telling the truth, Gabranth," she said. "Let's say, that you're right, that our struggles in this war are meaningless, that we cannot win…that's just another reason to keep fighting!" as she finished, Terra lifted her head.

"What foolishness is this?" Gabranth sneered.

"Hope, Gabranth. Maybe you're right. Maybe this war is endless…but there has to be a way to stop it!" Terra said. "If we keep fighting, this time may be the last."

"Your vow is but a poison in your veins," Gabranth replied. "It blinds you to the truth. There is no hope for this world, abandon your delusions and you will see this for yourself. Don't let Cosmos pull her veil over your eyes."

"To wallow in despair, a forgotten spirit unable to move on," Terra whispered, shaking her head. "I pity you, Gabranth."

"Pity?" Gabranth spat. "I do not need your sentiment! Why deny the truth?"

"Are you done talking?" Cloud snapped, adjusting his grip on the Buster Sword. "Because we're done listening. No either get out of the way or we'll make you."

"Ha ha. Are those my options?" Gabranth smirked. "Very well…if I must choose, then I choose the latter." Gabranth held his hands out, a large steel helmet appearing in them in a flash of light. "There may be no hope for the end of the war," he whispered, lifting the helmet over his head and sliding it on. "But the thrill of battle, the rush of domination over unworthy foes like yourself…that is a feeling, I still cherish now and always." Gabranth removed his hands and snapped one out to the side. With a second flash of light, Gabranth's twin-bladed sword materialized from the air.

"You tell us the war is futile, you admit you're just a spirit, but you want to fight us?" Terra asked.

"Even in disgrace, I am Judge Magister," Gabranth said, his voice echoing within his helmet. "It is my duty to carry out justice on those who would defy the law. And you would defy the rules set down by the gods, and so I pronounce you guilty. As Judge Magister, I hereby exercise my authority to punish you for your petty insolence. You must be taught a lesson in suffering, and I shall be the one to teach it to you."

"Come and try," Cloud muttered. Terra tensed and held out her hands, magical energy crackling along her arms. Gabranth twirled his weapon in the air and drew it back over his shoulder. Sunlight gleamed down the blade's edge, as a deep red aura appeared over Gabranth's armor. Within the confines of his helmet, Gabranth smiled.

"Now! Come, Warriors of Cosmos! Your lives shall end at my blade!"


	12. Judgment: Cloud & Terra vs Gabranth

**Several reviewers asked, so I'll address it now – Shantotto may or may not appear. It's not that I haven't decided, it's that I genuinely don't know. I'm not at all opposed to having her in the story, I like Shantotto. But at the same time I'm not going to have her in just for the sake of having her in. If there's a place for her, Shantotto will definitely appear. If not, she won't.**

Shards of Memory

Chapter 12

Judgment – Cloud and Terra vs Gabranth

"_**My strength is as the strength of ten, because my heart is pure." – **_Alfred Tennyson

* * *

Gabranth let out a roar and charged forward. Cloud leapt and brought the Buster Sword down over his head. Gabranth quickly swung his own sword, blocking the broadsword and knocking it away. Cloud brought the sword back for another blow. Gabranth spun backwards, flipping a hidden catch in the handle of his swords. With a click, he separated the blades and crossed them to stop the strike.

"You possess strength," Gabranth sneered, "but do you have the will to wield it?" Gabranth deflected the Buster Sword to the left and slashed to the right with his second sword. Cloud narrowly leapt back as the steel cut a slash in the front of his outfit. Gabranth continued his assault, whirling and slicing his swords through the air. Cloud dodged and ducked each strike, and reached down to his waist. With a cry, he ducked a horizontal swing and thrust out his hand, pushing a Materia orb into Gabranth's chest. A fireball exploded against his armor, sending him flying backwards. Gabranth landed on his back and flipped backwards again, landing on his feet. The red aura on his armor crackled as he laughed.

"Is that all you weaklings can muster?"

"No."

Gabranth's eyes widened and he spun around as Terra flung out her palms. A large shard of ice flew through the air, and Gabranth sliced it apart as it neared him. Two more ice shards flew, and Gabranth deflected them with a cry before running forward. He drew one of his swords over his shoulder and sliced the air before him. Terra leapt up as he attacked, spinning in the air and firing three orbs of light. Gabranth looked up and back-flipped away as the orbs exploded in the ground beneath his feet. Terra landed beside Cloud with a small gasp.

"You really think you can take on both of us?" she called. Across the plaza, Gabranth brought his swords before him and clicked them back together.

"No, I think nothing of the sort!" he replied, swinging the dual-blade behind his back. Gabranth whipped the sword forward, sending a torrent of wind across the plaza. Terra and Cloud lifted their hands to shield themselves and turned away, their clothing fluttering out behind them. In the wake of the wind, Gabranth charged forward. Cloud lifted his head to peer through the wind and swung the Buster Sword, catching the edge of Gabranth's blade with the flat. Without missing a beat, the Judge clicked apart the two swords and swung the freed secondary blade. The blade stopped in the air, and Gabranth turned his head to see Terra holding her sword over her head, holding Gabranth's back.

"Ignorant deviants…" Gabranth sneered. With a cry, he spun around, deflecting Cloud and Terra away. Kneeling, Gabranth narrowed his eyes and spun forward again. "Let me see you suffer!" Gabranth flung out his hands, a blast of energy emanating from his palms. The force knocked both Warriors of Cosmos back down the stairs behind them. Above them, Gabranth's hands glowed with dark energy, wisps of magic floating off his fists. Cloud looked up as Gabranth slammed his hands together, sending tendrils of darkness circling and whirling forward.

"Cloud!" beside him, Terra lifted her hands, a barrier rippling up from the ground. The dark tendrils slammed against the barrier and dispersed in puffs of smoke. The barrier vanished, and Terra and Cloud climbed to their feet.

"Impressive, but how long can you keep it up?" Gabranth asked. Cloud leapt forward, twirling the Buster Sword over his head. Gabranth jumped back as Cloud cleaved his sword over his hand and slammed it into the ground where Gabranth had stood a moment ago. Cloud stood up and attacked again. SOLDIER and Judge swung, dodged, ducked, thrust and parried again and again, Gabranth standing his ground the while. Terra ran up the stairs behind Cloud and flung her hand out. A flock of fireballs fired from her palm, circling around Cloud to bombard Gabranth. He cried out as the magical attack slammed into him from the sides, and Cloud seized the chance. He swung the Buster Sword over his shoulder, then swung it as hard as he could. Gabranth went flying backwards, slamming into part of the statue in the middle of the fountain in the plaza. He hit the ground and rolled with a groan.

"Nice shot," Cloud said.

"Thanks," Terra replied. Across the plaza, Gabranth used his sword as a crutch and pushed himself to his feet, breathing deeply.

"You are both strong," he called, "but you lack the true strength needed to defy Chaos!"

"True strength?" Terra whispered.

"Prove your worth to me now!" Gabranth continued, bringing his sword in front of his face. The blade glowed with white energy. "If you cannot overcome me, how do you expect to overcome a god!?" Gabranth separated his sword and swung the larger blade back and forth through the air. Four crescent blades of magic sliced across the plaza, cutting through what was left of the fountain. Cloud swung the Buster Sword, cutting apart three of the blades, and Terra fired a blast of flame that dispersed the fourth.

"Any ideas?" Cloud muttered.

"Alone we're no match for him," Terra replied, thinking quickly. Her eyes widened slightly, and she turned to Cloud. "Can you get him into the air?"

"Huh?" Cloud asked, giving her an odd look.

"I need him in the air so I can get a good shot at him," Terra explained. Cloud smirked and nodded.

"I got something," he said. "Just watch your aim." The two whipped their heads forward as Gabranth leapt clean over the fountain, spinning his sword over his head. Cloud jumped up after him, swinging the Buster Sword and canceling his momentum. The two of them landed on the ground on their feet, and Gabranth swung his sword over his head. Cloud ducked and rolled to the side, swinging the Buster Sword into the ground as he righted himself on his feet. A burst of blue energy fired along the ground, and Gabranth was sent stumbling back by the attack.

"Now!" Cloud called, running towards the stunned judge. Gabranth let out a gasp as Cloud sliced the Buster Sword down over his chest, carving a gash in the armor, then spun and slammed the flat into Gabranth's hip. The judge was sent flying into the air, and on the ground, Terra concentrated and summoned an orb of fire into his hands. Opposite her, Cloud lifted the Buster Sword over his head and spun it, wisps of blue energy surrounding it. "Like I said, watch the aim!" Cloud called, turning and running towards a wall. He took a step, leapt onto the wall, and pushed off.

Gabranth grunted as Cloud slashed across his back, skidding to a halt in mid-air as he dashed past. Terra held up her hands and launched a fireball into Gabranth's chest, knocking him back in the air to face Cloud again. Cloud dashed forward again, doubling him over. Another fireball hit Gabranth in the shoulder, spinning him around for the third slash. Another fireball hit his back, flipping him forward again as Cloud dashed into him a fourth time, slashing the Buster Sword across Gabranth's back and leaping into the air above him. Terra narrowed her eyes and summoned a field of blue energy around Gabranth, her palms glowing with blue magic.

With a final cry, Terra slammed her palms together, collapsing the Ultima spell onto Gabranth with a flash of light. Gabranth let out a scream, opening his eyes in time to see the field of blue magic clear. In the wake of the spell's explosion, Cloud twirled the Buster Sword and descended, slamming the blade into Gabranth's chest. A shockwave of power burst out from the impact, and Cloud landed on the ground, the Buster Sword imbedding its tip in the ground in front of him a moment later. Gabranth hit the ground behind him heavily not long after, the sound of metal hitting stone echoing across the plaza.

"Cloud!" Terra ran forward as Cloud kneeled, panting. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Cloud nodded, reaching out to grab the handle of his weapon. "What about Gabranth?" Cloud pulled the Buster Sword from the ground and turned around. The judge twitched and put out a hand, pushing himself onto one knee. There was a small creak of metal as Gabranth's helmet slipped off his ducked head, clanging on the ground and dissolving into particles of light. At the same time, the red aura around Gabranth's armor vanished. The defeated Judge Magister panted heavily, and shakily climbed to his feet.

"Very impressive," Gabranth whispered, stumbling slightly as he reared to his full height. "It appears I misjudged you."

"You got that right," Cloud muttered. Gabranth turned to face the two warriors, smiling slightly.

"You defeated me, yes. But do not take the victory for granted. You won by combining your strength, defending each other and relying on each other in the heat of battle. This is a lesson you must remember, if you hope to defeat Chaos."

"Gabranth," Terra whispered, lifting a hand to her chest. "Why did you attack us?" Gabranth turned his head and walked over to his discarded weapon, picking up the dual-blade and holding it up to inspect it.

"There are others like me," he said, dismissing the weapon in a flash of light. "Others trapped by defeat and loss, bound to this world by the Gods. As long as Chaos and Cosmos endure, the cycle of war can never be broken. Shinryu's will is too great to be denied…or, so I have thought for so long." Gabranth turned around and lifted his head to look into the sky.

"This time…something is different," he murmured. "The breeze carries a new smell…the foul, deceptive stench of hope…for me, this hope is meaningless, but for you?" Gabranth lowered his eyes. "The winds of change blow, Warriors of Cosmos. I believe this time a chance will present itself. A one in an eternity chance, the chance to end the cycle. When the cycle of conflict ends, Chaos and Cosmos will sink into oblivion, and I will be freed from my torment." Gabranth began to walk towards Terra and Cloud. Cloud tensed his grip on the Buster Sword, but Terra put a hand out on the blade and pushed it downwards.

"But this chance will not be taken by the weak," Gabranth said lowly, stopping before them. "When the time comes, can you do what must be done? You struggled to defeat me, and there are far stronger opponents down the path ahead of you both. You must continue your training, if you wish to destroy Chaos. That is my lesson to you, heroes. Forget it and suffer. Take it to heart, and it will serve you well."

"We will," Terra nodded. "No matter how strong Chaos is, we'll defeat him together."

"There's ten of us," Cloud said. "Together, we'll be more than enough to handle him."

"We shall see," Gabranth said. "You speak true, though. The individual is weak, but the group is strong. So long ago, my brother taught me that." Gabranth closed his eyes. "I thought then, I understood how Basch had the strength he did…to have nothing to fight for, and yet to fight as though he had everything to protect…but I was wrong. Warriors like Basch, like the Lady Ashe and the two of you, even in defeat you find the strength to carry on. I cannot. My defeats are iron chains binding me to my past. They hold no answers and no lessons for me. They torment me."

'"Gabranth…" Terra bowed her head. "Your heart is full of darkness, but…I sense light within you." Terra lifted her head. "When you were called, why did you betray that?" Gabranth opened his eyes.

"Hmph. Chaos made me an offer. An offer I would imagine, he makes to all his slaves. The offer to alter the past, and remake our worlds. I would be loathe to reject such an offer. As the Lady Ashe once told me, power cannot change the past. Even the power of a god. Chaos' slaves fight for false promises. They are fools…as was I."

"And if he did let you change your past," Cloud asked, "what would you have done to your world?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Gabranth laughed. He shook his head and walked forward. "It doesn't matter now. What matters is the two of you. Remember what you have learned here today. To fight for each other, and what you hold dear." Gabranth walked between Terra and Cloud and headed down the large staircase behind them. "Remember what it is you fight for. Too many get caught in the thrill of war and lose their hearts and souls to the bloodshed. They forget who they are, and live for nothing but fighting. I beseech you both, do not let this happen to the two of you." Gabranth stopped partway down the stairs, and looked over his shoulder.

"Do not allow yourselves to become like me."

Cloud and Terra watched as glow green orbs of light floated up from Gabranth's body. A moment later there was a flash of light, and when it cleared, the Judge Magister had vanished.

* * *

"Jecht."

Jecht stopped walking across the bridge over the mountain chasm below and turned. With a crackle of dark violet lightning, Golbez appeared behind him. Jecht scowled and lifted his sword onto his shoulder.

"So, Mateus sent ya to bring me back huh?" he muttered. "This ain't exactly the best place for a battle, but if ya want one there's a nice open area back the way I came."

"I have not come to spar with you, Jecht," Golbez said. Jecht snorted and lowered his sword.

"Really? Damn. I could use a good brawl…what do you want then?" he asked.

"I would know why you have abandoned us," Golbez said.

"What, being bossed around by Mateus isn't reason enough?"

"You know better than to believe I will accept that."

"Fine then. I left because there's no point fighting for Chaos. Garland said if we win, we can remake our worlds as we wish," Jecht said, crossing his arms.

"And you would remake your world with Zanarkand a reality and your son by your side," Golbez nodded. It was a statement, not a question. Jecht was not unlike him, he fought for a higher cause. That was the main reason Golbez was here now. Jecht lowered his head and stared at the wooden planks under his feet.

"Do you really think Chaos is gonna let me do that?" he asked. "Recruit me to destroy my world, and let me put it back the way it was? I ain't stupid, that's a lie. We won't remake the worlds as we want them, Chaos will remake them the way he wants them, using us. That lie was just supposed to give us false hope, a reason to fight. I've had my share of false hope in my life, I don't need any more."

"Ah yes, the despair brought by the truth, or the hope born of a delusion…I hear the denizens of your world are well versed in such choices," Golbez chuckled. "You would discard this so-called false hope, and your ties to the darkness? What is left for you then?"

"I'm finding my boy," Jecht said, slamming his fist into his palm. "And I'm gonna help him smash Chaos into itty-bitty pieces."

"You wish now to see Chaos defeated?" Golbez asked.

"Yeah. Hell, I gotta die again, but better me than the whole world. I'm used to that sort of thing, ya know?"

"Would you abstain from considering alternatives?"

"Like what?" Jecht said.

"What if there was another hope, Jecht? I speak of true hope, not Chaos' falsehoods. Hope for the restoration of yourself and Zanarkand. And Tidus with you."

"Sounds too good to be true. So it probably is. What's the catch?" Jecht said, narrowing his eyes.

"You have to let Tidus kill you," Golbez replied. Jecht let out a laugh.

"Ya said 'let'…yeah I would have to, wouldn't I?" he smiled. "The crybaby is too much of a wimp to take me out without help…so that's it? Let him kill me?"

"Not quite. There is someone else I must have you meet with first. She would speak to you, if you wish to be a part of this plan."

"Plan? There's a plan now?" Jecht asked.

"There are several," Golbez replied. "The question is if you'd like to take a more active role in them."

"Ya know, I was wondering when you'd stop pulling your little strings and come on down for a chat," Jecht muttered, shaking his head. "…alright, what the hell. I'm listening. Make it good."

* * *

"The power to change the past," Terra whispered. "Do you really think Chaos has that sort of power?" She turned and looked across the small shop at Cloud. Cloud was busy examining a suit of metal armor hung on a wall.

"Maybe. Who knows?" he replied. "Chaos _is_ a god after all." Cloud looked over at a shelf and reached out to pick up a longsword in a leather sheath.

"True," Terra nodded, looking away. In truth, she was more concerned about what Gabranth had said about this 'divine dragon'. If he was telling the truth, Shinryu was even stronger than Chaos and Cosmos, strong enough to revive them and trap the universe in a cycle of war and strife. If Gabranth was right, if they weren't the first to be called to arms by Cosmos…what were they expected to do?

_"If we defeat Chaos…our worlds will be restored, but…" _Terra bit her lip. _"But if Shinryu will just revive Chaos, then the war will continue and our worlds will just be endangered again. Does this mean, to truly save the worlds…would we have to kill Shinryu?"_ Was that even possible? Cloud had said it before: Chaos was a god that may have the power to bend the fabric of time. And Shinryu was even stronger than Chaos. How do you kill a being stronger than a god?

_"Divine dragon…" _Terra closed her eyes.

* * *

_"We're still working on helping the refugees from Narshe take back the town," Edgar muttered, lifting a hand to his chin. "The problem is that the monsters in the mines are stubborn, they've gotten into passages and caves even the miners didn't know about."_

_"I thought Mog and the Moogles were looking for them," Celes asked, confused. Edgar shrugged and stood up, crossing the room to look out the window. The town of South Figaro, itself still being rebuilt, stretched before him outside._

_"They are, but the Moogles aren't really good fighters," he said. "They can only do so much, Mog is doing most of the work."_

_"What about Locke?" Celes and Edgar turned as Terra sat up from her seat by the fireplace. "He knows the Narshe mines, can't we ask him to help them?"_

_"If we can find him," Celes muttered, casting her eyes downward. Terra's heart twitched. Locke loved her, they all knew it, and so did Celes. But old habits were hard to break. It hadn't even been a week after Kefka's defeat before he ran off to investigate rumors of new treasure. In the past two months they'd barely heard from him._

_"Setzer told me he helps Locke get around now and then," Edgar said, walking towards Celes. "We'll get a message to him, bring him back."_

_"And we'll make him stay," Terra said firmly, putting an arm around Celes' shoulders. "Even if we have to chain him up." Celes let out a laugh._

_"He'd find a way out," she replied. "Speaking of Setzer, I thought he said he was going to help finance the construction?"_

_"He's going to, right now he needs the money for–" There was a crash outside, and the three Returners whirled their heads to the window. Terra and Edgar ran to look outside, and let out a simultaneous gasp. Vaguely humanoid creatures, colored red, blue, gold and purple, had burst out of the door leading to the passages underneath the town. With a bellow, one of the creatures, a larger blue one, barreled forward and charged clean through the wall of a house. The people on the streets nearby began to run as the monsters spread out, demolishing anything in their path._

_"What are those?" Terra asked._

_"Let's worry after we stop them," Edgar muttered. He reached over to the side of the wall and grabbed one of the crossbows he had taken from the castle for protection. "Celes, can you evacuate the townspeople? I'll try and buy you some time."_

_"You can't take them on by yourself!" Celes protested, following Edgar to the top of the stairs._

_"We don't have a choice, it's just the three of us, unless Sabin gets back from…Terra!" Edgar called. Terra didn't hear him. The sight out the window had transfixed her. Blue eyes widened as the blue skies overhead darkened with storm clouds. Thunder rumbled, and lightning flashed among the clouds. Through a gap between them, a long, serpentine creature slithered through the air. Terra gasped as the creature flew through a larger gap, display a glowing silver body with a rainbow-colored aura that vanished behind the clouds, leaving little more than its head visible. The creature stopped its flight, and lowered its head. Terra felt a chill go down her spine as the creature looked at her. _

_The sounds of the screams and the voices of her friends and the crackling of the fire faded in the background as Terra and the creature looked at each other. She couldn't see it clearly enough to identify a face on it, but its head had lowered, and Terra somehow knew that the creature was watching her. The room around her began to shake, and in the back of her mind Terra heard Edgar say something and ignored him. The silver creature in the sky hovered silently, and Terra felt the air around her grow hot. She lifted an arm and looked down in detached fascination as a magical aura lit up along her skin, raising the fine hairs there. A sensation she hadn't felt in more than two years. A shadow fell over her arm, and Terra lifted her head to see one of the colored humanoids leaping towards the window, arm coming forward. The glass shattered in front of her eyes, and Terra fainted to the floor, crumpling as the monster crashed over her body into the room._

_

* * *

_

"Terra?" Cloud reached out to place a gloved hand on Terra's shoulder, and she let out gasp and jumped. Cloud followed suit, jumping back and retracting his hand. The green-haired young woman blinked rapidly and turned to him, stunned.

"Huh?" she said.

"I said, 'let's move on'," Cloud repeated. Terra gave him a blank look, then nodded.

"Right…right," she agreed. "Um…where to?"

"Are you alright?" Cloud asked, giving her an odd glance. Terra normally seemed so calm and composed. He wasn't used to seeing her like this.

"Yeah…yes I'm fine…I was just thinking," Terra said. "You're right, let's move on." Terra turned to the door of the small shop and briskly walked out, eager to get out of the stifling cramped room. The unseen eyes of the beast she'd seen when her world had fallen bored into her skull still. At the time, Terra didn't know what the beast was, and after awakening in this world she didn't have the time to be concerned with it. Now…

"_That day, when the cataclysm struck…that must have been the divine dragon…Shinryu," _Terra thought, letting the door swing shut behind her. Gabranth really was telling the truth then. Unless she had been hallucinating the shining creature looking at her. Given her deteriorating mental condition since the cataclysm, it wouldn't surprise her. But there was a way to make sure. Terra turned to see Cloud emerge from the shop, closing the door behind him out of habit.

"Cloud?" she said softly.

"Yeah?" Cloud looked over at her.

"When…when your world was destroyed…did you see anything?" Terra asked hesitantly.

"Like, what?" Cloud said. Terra hesitated again for a moment.

"Like…a flying creature, in the sky," she explained. Cloud shrugged.

"Not really. I was a bit busy protecting my family," he replied, walking down the street. Terra watched him, confused. He hadn't mentioned anything about a family before. Terra momentarily thought of her own family. Her mother Madeline was a mystery. Terra couldn't remember anything about her at all, everything she knew about her came from Maduin. They'd only known each other for two years when Madeline had found her way to the Esper world. According to Maduin, Madeline had been an otherworldly beauty with a pure spirit that had drawn him to her since she first awoke in their world and looked up at him. He said she and Terra had the same eyes.

Terra had never met her father in person, but Maduin's spirit within his Magicite shard had been an endless source of comfort and guidance. Terra had kept Maduin's stone with her at all times, to the end of the world and beyond. It was only with his help she had tamed her Esper and learned to control her powers, and his simple presence made her stronger in battle. Terra had seen him, and her mother Madeline, through Maduin's eyes when he had telepathically linked to her mind and the minds of her friends to show them the events of the Empire's invasion of the Esper world.

"You never told me you had a family," Terra said. "What are they like?"

"Well, not a real family, not like…" Cloud thought for a moment. "It's hard to explain. Denzel and Marlene are orphans, they're not actually our kids. And Tifa and I aren't married and we're not their real parents. But yeah…we're a family together."

"Must be nice…" Terra whispered.

"What about you?" Cloud asked. "Don't you have any family?"

"No," Terra said, shaking her head. "My parents were killed by the Empire when I was a kid. I don't remember them at all."

"Oh…guess it's my turn to be sorry then," Cloud coughed slightly. "I didn't know."

"I know, it's alright," Terra let out a small sigh. "I have a family still, and extended family, _very_ extended. I haven't spoken to some of them in a long time since we defeated Kefka, it's been a couple years, but at last count there was more than a dozen of us."

"That's a big family," Cloud nodded. "You said you haven't spoken to some of them. You don't keep in touch?"

"We do, as much as we can. But we all had our own lives before we banded together. When Kefka was defeated, most of us went back to the lives we left," Terra said. That was a slight lie. Kefka had changed the world, not just physically, but he had changed the people living in it. When the planet had been restored, the inhabitants hadn't been similarly shifted back. Terra had no idea what had happened to Shadow, Locke and Cyan. They had vanished into the world and only occasionally reappeared, and the mysterious mime Gogo had likewise been absent from sight.

The only people Terra saw on a regular basis were Gau, who still roamed the Veldt, and Setzer, Edgar and Celes. Setzer would often ferry Terra to Figaro Castle, Celes would come up from her home in Jidoor, and the four would enjoy the evening together. Sabin lived in South Figaro and occasionally joined them. The rest of the group, Mog, Umaro, Relm and Strago, Terra hadn't seen them since Kefka's defeat and heard only second-hand information from Setzer and Edgar. Setzer said Relm was honing her painting skills, and Strago's health was deteriorating, age finally catching up with him. Mog and Umaro had returned to try and reestablish the Moogle settlement in the Narshe mountains, or so Edgar's scouts to the town had said.

"_Everyone found some way to move on with their lives…" _Terra thought, her heart feeling heavy. _"But me…" _Terra still lived in Mobliz caring for the orphans, though many had grown up and were teenagers now. Some of the older kids had even gone along with Setzer to some other town in the world to make a living on their own. Watching the kids slowly trickle off as time wore on had been a wake-up call. It had been with some fear and hesitation that Terra had silently admitted to herself that there was no future in the ruins of Mobliz. What could she and the kids do, rebuild the town? Even rebuilt the town was isolated except for Setzer and the airship. Duane and Katarin had become young adults, and their baby was beginning to talk. Thought he kept such words sparse around Terra, she knew Duane had suggested he and Katarin move away as well. Deep down, Terra knew the only reason they had stayed in Mobliz as long as they had was for her. The only reason the village still existed at all was because of her.

"_When they grow up…when they all leave…what will I do?"_ Terra asked herself. Celes lived in Jidoor in a small home. The Magitek general had told Terra she considered her a sister, and invited her to stay with her whenever she wished. The high culture and luxury of Jidoor _was_ appealing, but Terra had always felt out of place when their journey had taken them there in the past. The idea of living with Celes wasn't a horrible one, but Terra couldn't see herself living in Jidoor's splendor. Terra had no idea where she'd go or what she'd do with her life if she left Mobliz. The village had given her a place where she felt needed, felt like she belonged. A feeling she hadn't felt anywhere else before. A feeling that was slowly fading away.

"You're doing it again."

Terra blinked, holding her eyes shut for a moment before opening them to see Cloud standing in front of her looking at her in mild amusement.

"You keep doing that, I'm going to have to get a bell to snap you back to reality," Cloud muttered, lifting his eyebrows. Terra blushed.

"I'm sorry…I've just got a lot on my mind," she said.

"I don't blame you," Cloud nodded. "If you can stay with me for a minute, I wanted to ask if you know where we're supposed to go next. Did your mystery friend tell you?"

"No, he only told me to come to the city," Terra said. Inwardly, she realized that Gabranth's presence here was probably why the figure had told her to come here. Whoever he was, he wanted her to know what Gabranth had told them. The next time the figure appeared, Terra resolved to ask him a few choice questions. "But I can still sense the powerful presence from before," she continued aloud. It's to the north-east, and it's stronger than before."

"Right. Let's go." Cloud began walking down the street again, Terra slowly following behind. "And no falling into thought this time," Cloud called over his shoulder. "If I look behind me, I wanna see you keeping up, okay?"

"Yeah yeah," Terra grumbled, blushing again. "I'm just worried is all."

"About the Crystals," Cloud nodded. "I don't blame you at all."

"No, not them," Terra shook her head. "I'm more worried about what happens after we find them and restore the worlds."

"Why? What happens when we return to our worlds?" Cloud asked.

"That's just it…" Terra whispered sadly. "I have no idea. I'll return home of course, but…it's not a problem for you," she sighed. "You have a real home in your world. You have people waiting for you there, people you love, people who love you back."

"And you don't have anyone like that?" Cloud said.

"Fewer and fewer every day…"

Cloud stopped and looked over his shoulder. Terra kept walking, not noticing he wasn't. She had her head help down, her green hair hanging down to hide her face from his view. Considering how normally hopeful and spirited she was, it was like a blow to the chest to see her so depressed.

"_Am I supposed to do something?" _Cloud thought, watching her keep pace with him. Did she want him to say something, do something? He could try and comfort her, maybe. Cloud knew all too well the feelings of loneliness she was talking about. But, he also knew she had a point. He had people in his world to return to. Terra had just told him she had no family, and she'd never mentioned any lovers or companions. Was there really no one in her world waiting for her to come back?

"I…" Cloud said after a moment. "I…I'm sorry," he blurted out. Terra lifted her head to look at him. The look of sadness laced with confusion was a second blow.

"For what?" she asked softly. "You didn't do anything. It's not like it's your fault I'm alone is it?"

"But…you aren't, right?" Cloud urged, trying to cheer her up. "What I mean is…I'm here. That's something isn't it? We can be alone together, if you want." Terra looked at him strangle, her mouth twisting into a half-smile.

"Sure," she let out a sad laugh and walked past him. Cloud watched her pass him and let out a breath. At least she was smiling again.


	13. Passage of Time

**Sorry for the late update, this past weekend I was horribly sick and was just unable to write. I also had a slight case of writer's block, and this chapter is mostly filler, but things will pick up very soon. I cut it a bit shorter than usual, but I figured I had dragged it out too much already.**

Shards of Memory

Chapter 13

Passage of Time

"_**The more time we lose, the more memories we make." **_- Unknown

* * *

"Come on, a bit closer, bit closer…" Kefka whispered, squinting through the morning light. The mad mage was crouching on an outcropping of his tower, watching the ground below. A handful of Crystelles patrolled the base of the tower, mindless marching around endlessly and tirelessly. One of them stepped on an "X" symbol that had been burnt into the grass, pausing momentarily as its shadow of a mind registered the change in terrain.

"ZAPPO!" Kefka flung out his hands and fired a massive bolt of lightning through the air. The attack arched down and slammed into the Crystelle's head, exploding the automation into orbs of light and shards of crystalline light blue body parts. "Yeah baby!" Kefka cheered, pumping his fist. "This would be so much more fun if the damn things knew enough to run!" Kefka lifted an eyebrow and thought for a moment. Well, maybe if he spoke to Mateus, the Crystelles could…

An explosion interrupted Kefka's train of thought, and he whirled around at the sound. It had come from inside the tower. He sighed and jumped off the outcropping into a ventilation shaft emerging from below. He slid down it and emerged on a catwalk inside the tower. He walked to the edge and peered down. Below him, Sephiroth was standing perfectly still, the Masamune clutched tightly in his hand. The only sign anything had happened were the shards of glass and general shrapnel littering the floor around his feet, and the bottom of an Esper capsule before him missing its glass and top. The capsule's top was rolling across a lower floor, hitting a wall and falling over with a clang. Sephiroth sensed he was being watched and looked up at Kefka.

"Having a rough morning, sweetie?" Kefka asked dryly, propping his head on his hand.

"Don't start with me, not today," Sephiroth growled lowly, dismissing the Masamune. "I am not in the mood for your games."

"And that's stopped me before?" Kefka laughed, leaping down to the floor Sephiroth was on. "What's up?" Sephiroth glared at Kefka for a moment, then turned and walked a few steps away, crossing his arms.

"Terra…she interfered with my manipulations again," he said. Sephiroth turned his thoughts back to the events of the past night. Once again he had entered Cloud's mind to cleave apart another memory, and once again Terra had stopped him somehow. Within the dreamscape, Sephiroth had set to work extracting the memory of when the Ancient and Cloud had recovered the Black Materia, and he had swiftly stepped in and relieved them of it. Within the timeframe of the memory, the dream Sephiroth had reached out his hand to take the Black Materia, when the memory froze.

The true Sephiroth had watched as the image of the Ancient next to Cloud flickered like a light, flashing Terra's visage overlapping hers. Then, he was gone, forced out of Cloud's mind again. This time, he had seen Terra's presence directly in the memory itself, not just the aftermath. It was unmistakable; somehow, she was stopping him. Sephiroth could not fathom how, but it was the second time she was doing it, and it was two times too many.

"Hm….that bites," Kefka shrugged. "So what are you gonna do now?"

"Me?" Sephiroth asked. "What would you have me do? You're the one manipulating Terra, you're the one who knows the full extent of her abilities, you're the one who is able to control her powers. This is your problem to solve. So solve it."

"Maybe _you've_ got a problem, I'm doing just fine," Kefka shot back. "Don't blame me for your failures! It's not my fault she's in your way."

"She's your prey, you're the one overseeing her," Sephiroth said. "You know how to deal with her better than I do."

"Excuses excuses," Kefka yawned, waving his hand through the air. "You can play the blame game all you want, doesn't change anything. This is your issue. You solve it, just don't bitch to me." Kefka turned and walked away.

"Where are you going?" Sephiroth asked.

"Looking for something to eat!" Kefka snapped, vanishing as he walked. Sephiroth clenched his fist as Kefka faded. It hadn't even been a week and already his patience for Kefka's antics were reaching their end. By night Sephiroth meditated and focused on cleaving Cloud's memories, by day he rested to conserve his strength. He had to admit he was growing a tad weary as he accelerated his efforts, trying to cut larger portions of memory in less time, every night. It was beginning to take its toll on him, but he had no choice. Mateus and Garland were right, they were running out of time.

"_And it doesn't help if that girl is going to spontaneously interfere with my work," _Sephiroth thought. His off-hand interest in Terra was turning into full-out investigation into her out of necessity. He hadn't met anyone before who could directly conflict his mental abilities. The Ancient that had consistently thwarted his plans was strong spiritually, enough to rival his own spiritual powers perhaps, but she did not have anything close to the mental abilities he was combating now. If this was indeed Terra somehow opposing him, her powers would have to be beyond what Kefka had said, perhaps even beyond the powers of the Ancient. And if that were true, then she was a formidable threat, one that he didn't trust Kefka to handle on his own. Sephiroth had to protect his plans for Cloud. He had to intervene.

"_This is your issue. You solve it, just don't bitch to me."_ Kefka's words echoed in Sephiroth's head. He scowled and turned, lifting a hand. The scrying stone resting on a pedestal from the room levitated and floated towards him. Sephiroth plucked it from the air and sent it a mental command to bring forth the image he wanted.

"Very well," he whispered, "I shall do as you wish, Kefka."

* * *

"_I wonder if I could get through life without sleeping," _Cloud thought, trudging along behind Terra with his head held down. _"I got a Cure Materia, I could probably stay awake for a couple days, maybe three. And by that time they'll probably be recharged enough to…" _Cloud let out a yawn, blinking back awake afterwards. _"The lack of sleep is getting to me."_

Another memory of a dream with Terra mysterious inserted into it had come to him last night. This time it was at the Temple of the Ancients. But it was a far longer memory than just sitting around the Cosmos Canyon fire talking. Terra was helping them fight the monsters guarding the temple, deciphering the runes on its walls, speaking with the Cetra spiritual guides. That Cloud had such impossibly vivid memories of the girl was distressing enough. What really worried him this time is that the forgotten memories, the memories he had kept losing since entering this fragmented world, were beginning to return to him. He could only consciously conjure up a few, the rest still flitted about the edge of his thoughts. But the few that were returning…

He was remembering her more now. Terra was there in his memories again. Not just the Cosmos Candle and the Temple of the Ancients anymore, she was traveling with them, being imprisoned within the Gold Saucer, exploring the basement of the burned Nibelheim mansion where they'd met Vincent. Cloud even remembered what she'd said to the immortal when they had spoken to him, and what Vincent's reply had been. An isolated incident was spreading to the other holes in his memory, and to Cloud's distress and confusion, they were making more sense than they should have.

"_I'm going insane," _Cloud decided. _"That has to be it, all the stress of fighting Sephiroth and saving the world is finally catching up with me. I'm gonna crack any day now."_ Cloud lifted his head. He and Terra had slept on a beach the previous night, deciding to follow the shoreline until…well, considering how the terrain worked in this world, until the shore ended. Cloud wouldn't be surprised to find a mountain of rock rising before them when the beach ended.

Up ahead, Terra was walking briskly, not looking back at him. She stopped suddenly and knelt down, reaching to pick something up from the sand. As Cloud approached, he saw her hold up a seashell in front of her face and examine it, putting it back down a moment later. Terra noticed Cloud's shadow and looked over her shoulder.

"Something wrong?" she asked.

"Just wondering what you were doing," Cloud said. "Anything special about that shell?"

"No…it was just pretty is all," Terra said, standing back up. Cloud looked down at the shell lying at her feet. It wasn't particularly special. It was small enough to fit in his hand, dull pink in coloring, and swirled out in a ridged spiral.

"Looks like an ordinary shell to me," Cloud shrugged, "what's so special about it?" Terra closed her eyes.

"Sometimes being ordinary is what makes something extraordinary," she explained. Cloud lifted his eyes as Terra began walking away across the sand. Cloud watched her bright green ponytail swing back and forth in front of her neck as she moved away from him. Her change of hair color after Onion Knight's kidnapping still perplexed him. Terra had said her hair had changed color because of her power, that Kefka's power over her had made her hair turn green like her father's. He didn't believe it in the least. What did genetic hair color have to do with artificially infused magic?

There were other inconsistencies in her stories too. Terra had said the Empire had pursued her when she escaped her service, then suddenly stopped. And if she were one of their top 'Magitek Knights', why would she need to escape, wouldn't she have been loyal? And what did the Crystal of her world have to do with Magitek magical energy that it could affect her powers? There was so much she wasn't telling it, and it was bothering him more than it should. Didn't she trust him to tell him what was really going on? What had he done that she felt she had to lie to him?

He had been truthful with her, mostly. He hadn't really lied, he'd just glazed over certain topics. His dreams were something he hadn't told her about, and now that they actively involved her he felt like telling her even less. But if she decided to ask, he'd…Cloud wasn't sure actually. He trusted Terra, but how would she react if he told her he was dreaming about her. The fact itself would likely be enough of a bother to her, and if Cloud told her the nature of the dreams, with her situated in some of his most important memories…how was he supposed to tell her that?

"Okay, I guess she probably has a good reason for hiding…whatever it is she's hiding," he reasoned silently. It still bothered him though, even if Terra was justified. Deep down, he was actually a bit worried. Terra was sweet, and she was strong and brave. What could be so horrible, what secret so dark, that she would make up so many lies to keep him from knowing it? He almost hoped she'd get tangled up in her own lies and slip up to reveal it to him.

"Cloud!"

Cloud lifted his head. Terra wasn't on the beach anymore, and not in front of him either. He looked around for a moment before he saw her waving to him from the small face of rock and dirt at the edge of the beach below the grass. Cloud jogged over to her and climbed up the rocks.

"What's wrong?" he asked, standing up. Terra turned and nodded her head towards the horizon. Cloud turned and squinted. Something vaguely red was silhouetted on the plain not too far away. "Is that a city?"

"I think so," Terra nodded, jogging towards it. Cloud walked after her more slowly. It only took them a few minutes to get close enough to make out the outlines of the individual buildings. It was definitely a town of some sort. Cloud didn't recognize it, but at this distance it was hard to tell. Terra was still running ahead of him, she was almost to the edge of the town's borders. As Cloud watched, Terra slowed and stopped just before she entered the town's streets. He frowned and picked up the pace to catch up to her.

"Something wrong?" Cloud asked, looking at her as he came up beside her. Terra blinked at his words and swallowed.

"I shouldn't be surprised, I guess," she whispered, "I mean, this world is built out of the fragments of other worlds, but still…"

"You know this place," Cloud stated.

"Yes…it's the village of the Mage Knights. Thamasa," Terra said. She took a careful step into the town, looking around with amazement. Cloud followed her, not sharing the same fascination she did but still interested in the new location. The village was rather small, maybe only the size of his home, Nibelheim. The houses were arranged in a rough circle around a central clearing dominated by a large tree surrounded by white stones set into the ground. Most of the streets weren't streets at all, just paths of grass and white stone between houses. A line of trees was visible in one direction. Terra stopped below the tree in the center of the town and smiled sadly.

"It's strange…seeing a place like this empty," she said. "On the one hand, it's comforting to know it still exists, that it wasn't destroyed. But on the other, it's empty. The Thamasa I know is full of happy families living peacefully…this place is…"

"A ghost town," Cloud nodded from behind her. "It gets to you, I know. You okay?"

"Yes, thank you," Terra replied. "Thamasa always kept a well stocked shop. Do you think there's anything left worth using?"

"Maybe, might as well look. Where is it?" Cloud asked. Terra turned and pointed to a building near the clearing, a wooden sign with an urn carved on it hanging over the door. The two walked towards the shop and pushed open the door. Cloud squinted and looked around. The shop looked like every other shop he'd seen in his travels, shelves full of bottled liquids and packets of powders and boxes of other general items. The shop was dark though, the only light coming from the windows.

"Kinda hard to see," Cloud said, walking inside. Terra tilted her head up and lifted her hand. A small stream of fire shot from her fingertips, lighting the first in a series of eight candles hanging from the ceiling. She moved her hand and fired again, the candles lighting one by one and the shop slowing growing brighter. "That's better," Cloud said, nodding towards her. He turned to one of the shelves and picked up a transparent blue bottle, a dark liquid inside.

"Potion," Cloud read off the label, "for accelerated healing of minor injuries and immediate relief of pain. Drink half of bottle contents and continue consumption if injuries do not improve within sixty minutes. If injuries still persist after drinking…" Cloud rolled his eyes. "Does anyone actually read the labels, we all know what they do."

"I never really paid attention either," Terra agreed. "Is it good to use?" Cloud held the bottle up to his eye and peered into it in the dim lighting.

"It looks a bit distilled," he murmured. He pulled the bottle back and shook it vigorously for a moment, then popped the cap off. Cloud put his finger inside the bottle mouth, then put it in his mouth. He grimaced and turned to spit it out instantly. "It's expired," he muttered, putting the top back on. "Now I remember why I hate using these things, that aftertaste is gonna take a week to get out of my mouth."

"Well there has to be something we can use," Terra said, walking down the row of shelves. "Not all shops only carry perishables, there should be some dry goods." Cloud set the bottle back on the shelf and looked over the rows of other colored bottles. They were standard fare, Hi Potions, Ethers, packages of Phoenix Down. A few of the items were immediately recognizable by their packaging, others Cloud only identified by their labels. He guessed that shops weren't universal among worlds in their stock. One box was open to show it was full of small fruits. The label read 'Green Cherries'. Cloud made a face. The cherries in the box certainly weren't so green now.

"Ah-ha!" Terra cried from a shelf near the back of the store. Cloud leaned around the corner of the shelf he was looking at to see her stand up, a small brown paper package wrapped with string in her hands.

"Find something?" he asked. Terra nodded and peered at the label on the package.

"For immediate relief of most minor and major illnesses, including stiffness of limbs, poisoning, nausea, sore throat, and compromised mental functions including confusion, temporary blindness and slowness of thought," she read off the label.

"Remedy powder," Cloud said, walking towards her.

"It should be safe, it's just powder, it can't distill or turn bad," Terra shrugged. "It would come in handy. This package has five doses in it, to be taken with water."

"How are we going to carry it?" Cloud pointed out. "Most of our traveling has been light."

"Good point," Terra said, putting the package down. "I'm actually wondering if there's any food in here. It's been a while since either of us has eaten a real meal and not just monster remains."

"I know what you mean," Cloud said. "I doubt we'll find anything though, most of the actual food in here is probably expired like the Potions. What else do you expect is in here?"

"Teas, maybe crackers…there should be _something_ here though," Terra replied. "You stay here and keep looking, I'll be back." Terra moved past Cloud and left the shop. Cloud watched her go silently, a little confused. This place was from her world, so she must have known something he didn't. He looked back to the shelves and scanned them for anything that might still be usable. It was the typical shop assortment of travel supplies, healing tonics and food, most of them, as he had expected, spoiled or rotten or moldy. Cloud held his gaze on a particularly white and green lump of what once may have been a loaf of bread.

_"How long has it been since I came here?" _he thought, narrowing his eyes slightly. With the days and nights of inconsistent length there was no telling how long it had been since the cataclysm had ruined the worlds. Even if the days were of normal length, he had long since lost track of how many had passed. It was at least a month, he was sure, but beyond that he had no idea. Two months, maybe three? It was discouraging to think about. Months fighting the forces of evil and he had no way of telling if they were making progress.

_"Cosmos…if only we could talk to you," _Cloud looked up at the candles lighting the shop, half-expecting and half-hoping the Goddess of Harmony would hear him and manifest from the flames. When he had first awoken, Cosmos had appeared to him on a regular basis, guiding him to band together with Cecil and Firion in the depths of a dormant volcano. But the last time she had spoken to him was far too long ago, when she directed the three of them to a ruined city where they found Tidus. Ever since, Cosmos had been silent. Cosmos was Cloud's only way of knowing what was happening in the world around him. For all he knew, all the other Warriors had gathered their Crystals now and he and Terra were struggling to catch up to them. Or maybe the other eight were dead and only the two of them were left to fight all the Warriors of Chaos. With their luck, it was…

"Dear god," Cloud reached out and put a hand on the shelf in front of him, "Terra's right, I _do_ mope…" He looked away towards a display of Ethers. Cloud did a slight double take and focused on the transparent green bottles. The liquid inside them was shaking slightly. Cloud began to move towards them, when the ground shook under his feet. He stumbled to the side, knocking over a shelf and falling to the floor. On other shelves, a few bottles and packages fell to the floor. A wave of dust fell from the ceiling, three of the candles lighting the room going out.

"An earthquake?" Cloud muttered, lifting his head. The shop was a mess now, and he was a bit bruised, but otherwise he was alright. Cloud climbed to his feet and stumbled slightly as he exited the shop. He looked around the village for any sign of where Terra had gone since she had left. Unsure of where she would be, and not familiar with the town itself, Cloud walked to the central tree of the town and scanned the surrounding buildings for any other stores or shops Terra would have gone to. He noticed a building with an 'Inn' sign, and headed towards it.

"Cloud!" Cloud stopped with his hand on the door to push it open and turned his head. Terra ran up to him from the doorway of another building, something tucked under her arm. "You're hurt," she gasped.

"Just a couple bruises, I'm fine."

"No, your head."

"My head?" Cloud reached up to his forehead and felt around. He felt his fingertips touch something wet, and drew his hand back to see blood on them. "Oh…must have happened when I fell on the shelf," he said, surprised. He hadn't even felt the blood there, or the cut. "Does it look bad?"

"I can't tell, come with me, I'll clean it up," Terra said. She pointed to the house she had come from and led Cloud to it. It wasn't far from the inn, within the inner circle of buildings around the center clearing.

"What did you find?" Cloud asked as Terra led him inside the house. Terra walked to the right and set the bundle under her arm on a counter there. Cloud sat down at a table nearby. It was a small house, a stove, cabinet for dishes, a counter and a desk. Cloud watched Terra open the bundle to reveal a pile of small twigs and sticks that she turned and began feeding into the stove behind them. She lowered a hand to fire a small burst of flame to ignite the wood, then closed the door and crossed the room to the cabinet. Cloud realized she must have known this house, she was moving too comfortably to be new here.

"Who lived here?" Cloud asked. Terra removed two cups and a bowl from the cabinet and set them on the table before answering.

"It's the home of a friend of mine, Strago," she replied. "He lives here with his granddaughter." Terra lowered her hands into the bowl and closed her eyes. As Cloud watched, wisps of frost emanated from her hands and pooled in the bottom of the bowl, layers of ice building up. The glow on her arms changed to dull orange, and the ice slowly melted into water. Terra flashed Cloud a smile and went back to the cupboard, opening a drawer and withdrawing a small hand towel.

"Alright, let's clean up the wound," Terra said, pulling a chair in front of Cloud. She pulled the bowl of water across the table and dipped the cloth in it.

"What's a Mage Knight?" Cloud asked suddenly.

"Huh?"

"When we entered the village, you called it 'village of the Mage Knights'. What's that mean?"

"Oh…" Terra pulled the cloth out and wrung it out. "I told you about the War of the Magi, right? The humans that got caught in the crossfire and gained the ability to use magic fled here centuries ago, and founded a town where they could live free from persecution from normal humans. Their descendants retained their magical abilities, though it was a lot weaker." Terra still remembered her quiet elation when she had seen Strago channel a spell to try and put out the flames consuming a house. She had hoped she'd finally found a place where there were others like her.

"So that includes your friend Strago then?"

"Yeah. Okay, hold still," Terra instructed, leaning closer. Cloud listened as Terra dabbed the damp cloth in her hand on his forehead on the cut, gently wiping off the blood. "It's under your hair, hold on," she said softly, brushing back his bangs. "It doesn't look too bad, I can heal you easily. Keep holding still."

"Right," Cloud agreed, blushing slightly at the attention. "So didn't the Empire ever find out about this place?" he asked. Terra ignored him and focused on wiping way the blood in his hair and on his forehead with the cloth, then held her fingers over the small cut and concentrated. With a small tingle in her fingertips, the wound glowed blue, the skin growing back and the cut closing. Terra pulled back her hands and smiled.

"There, you're fine," she said.

"Thanks," Cloud mumbled, hoping she didn't notice his face.

"And no, in my world Thamasa is on an island isolated from other villages, and the villagers rarely used their powers. By the time the Empire came the only one who found out was General Leo, and he kept their secret from even his own men."

"General Leo?" Cloud asked.

"For a while the Empire and my friends and I banded together to investigate the Espers. Leo was our Imperial escort here with a small force of troops." Terra hesitated a bit before continuing. "I don't remember it clearly, but he used to be in charge of training me when the Empire enslaved me. He used to let me go when we were away from Vector, to give me a few hours of freedom before we returned. I would play with the Moogles in the mines, and even though I couldn't remember anything about myself, I was still free for a little while…" Terra trailed off, and Cloud thought for a moment.

"He sounds like a good man, for all you've said about the Empire."

"Leo was probably one of the only men in the Empire with any sense of honor and justice," Terra said. "When Kefka came to Thamasa and attacked the Espers we had found, he told Leo the Emperor's truce with us was a lie. Leo refused to believe him and attacked him to try and save the village." Terra closed her eyes. "He failed. Kefka killed him, but he bought the Espers enough time to arrive in full. And then Kefka just killed them and left. Still…before Leo stepped in, Kefka was set to destroy the entire town and then me and my friends. I think that day would have been so much more tragic if Leo hadn't been there. He was a true warrior until the end. He died protecting the people he was supposed to be fighting from the people he was supposed to serve."

"I wish I could have met him," Cloud said, meaning it. Terra gave him an odd look. "What?"

"I think he would have liked to meet you, too," she whispered. The two Warriors of Cosmos were silent for a moment, then Terra suddenly looked away.

"Ah, I came here earlier, Strago kept a supply of tea in the cabinet, it'll be something to drink besides water if you want."

"Sure, I guess," Cloud said. "Any food?"

"There might be," Terra replied, heading over to the cabinet. "He kept a box of sugared cookies hidden from Relm, somewhere up here…" Terra strained on the tips of her toes and felt around the top of the cabinet. "There they are," she said, pulling down a small metal tin. She opened it and looked inside. "Snack time," she declared, pulling out a cookie and holding the tin out to Cloud. Cloud took it and smiled.

"When our worlds get put back, tell him thanks for the secret stash of cookies."

"Oh it was never secret, Relm always knew where they were. He just assumed he ate more than he thought he did."

* * *

Terra waited until she was sure Cloud's breathing was slow and steady, then climbed out of the bed. She looked over at the bed Cloud was sleeping silently on, and slowly walked to the stairs. The small meal earlier had been a welcome change of pace, and the rest of the day had been spent exploring the village for anything else. They had actually found two wandering Crystelle that had quickly been destroyed, but otherwise it was an uneventful afternoon.

Terra crept down the stairs and pulled open the door, heading down the short hall and outside. She rubbed her arms in the chilly evening air, and approached the small garden of blue flowers Strago kept in the front of his home. They looked surprisingly well tended for being left alone for what Terra figured was at least a month. She knelt down and plucked the choice larger and more vibrant blooms, making a small bouquet. Terra stood and walked behind the house, heading into the thicket of trees there that connected to a small forest. She remembered the path well enough, so she didn't get lost. After a short walk, Terra emerged in a small clearing. In the thicket, a slightly rusted sword stood impaled on a burial mound of stone and dirt. In front of the burial mound stood a gray tombstone.

_ General Leo Cristophe. Died May 13__th__, 1007. General of the Empire. Protector of Human, Mage Knight and Esper alike._

"Hello Leo," Terra whispered. She knelt to place the flowers before his tombstone, noting as she did every time she came here the blank spot on the stone where the date of birth should have gone. None of them had thought to ask how old Leo was, or when he was born, so the carvers had nothing to put there. The only people who would have known at the time were the Imperial forces, and with them later gone the Returners had no way of discovering Leo's origins. It still bothered her the noble general would never get that small recognition. Terra closed her eyes and made a mental prayer for the general's spirit.

_"You sacrificed yourself once to save the innocent. Then the rest of us had to carry on and do it without you," _Terra thought. _"It's just me this time, but I won't fail. For all my friends and for you, I'll bring down Kefka again."_

Terra opened her eyes and tensed. Behind her, moving closer, was a presence. She sent out her senses. Someone was here, and the presence wasn't the now-familiar presence of Cloud. It was someone new. She heard, rather than felt, the person stop not far behind her, and made the decision to act before they did.

Terra spun and climbed to her feet in the motion, her hand flying to her waist and drawing her sword to attack. A black glove snapped out to grab her wrist and stop the blade, leaving Terra to stare at the figure standing before her.

"You ought to be more careful," Sephiroth lectured softly, lowering her arm. "You could hurt someone acting so skittish."


	14. Doubt

Shards of Memory

Chapter 14

Doubt

"_**No man is happy without a delusion of some kind. Delusions are as necessary to our happiness as realities." **_- Christian Nestell Bovee

* * *

"Who are you?" Terra whispered, taking a step back. The man standing behind her radiated an undeniable aura of power. He looked human enough, but Terra's quests had taught her better than that. Her eyes drew themselves against their will to his silver hair, and wondered if the abnormal color carried a similar meaning as her own bright green locks. Bright green…Terra momentarily locked eyes with him before looking away. The glance confirmed his eyes glowed green, a glow that reminded her eerily of Cloud's eyes. "Answer me," Terra said, trying not to be distracted.

"My face is unknown to you, but my name may not be. I am Sephiroth," the swordsman replied coolly, watching Terra look him over as she spoke. No doubt he looked as strange to her as she to him, Sephiroth hadn't paid much attention to the attire and appearance of those from the other worlds. But he was better at controlling his emotions than Terra was, and hid his curiosities well. She looked subtly different in person than as an image projected from a scrying stone. There would be time to ponder such things later: Terra's eyes went wide as she registered Sephiroth's reply.

"You're the one Cloud's fighting," she accused, backing up further. Cloud was asleep, he wouldn't have known Sephiroth was here. If Terra could slip away, maybe fire a spell at the window, something to wake Cloud up and get his attention…

"Let him sleep, he needs his rest," Sephiroth interrupted. Terra gave him a scowl.

"Don't do that," she said. Sephiroth noted with amusement her irritation overrode her surprise. It was as Kefka had said then, she was used to communicating telepathically. Having her thoughts read must not have been a new sensation for her. He wondered again if Kefka's earlier guess to her having the same psychic powers he did was true. But then, that was one of several things he had come here to deduce. Sephiroth noted the air tingle slightly, and saw a glow form over Terra's hands.

"Please," Sephiroth sneered. "If I'd come to fight you would know it by my attacking you. Besides, as you have thought Cloud is asleep, if I wished it he could be dead right now." Sephiroth again reached out his thoughts, brushing Terra's mind and watching for her reaction. There was none he could perceive. Were her powers not as great as Kefka had said? If Terra couldn't sense his abilities, then perhaps she was interfering with his manipulations another way.

"Alright," Terra said, the glow on her hands vanishing. "You didn't come here to fight. What are you here for then?" Sephiroth closed his eyes. He'd have to play this out very carefully. Through his observations, and he own forays into Cloud's mind, he had a good idea of what Terra did and did not know about their world. Cloud had told her much, but not everything. That would make what he had come to do much easier.

"I've come to warn you," Sephiroth said.

"Warn me?" Terra asked. "Why would you do anything to help me? You're evil."

"Is that so?" Sephiroth replied, opening his eyes. "How can you profess to know this when you've only just met me?"

"Cloud told me all about you. You tried to destroy his world."

"As far as he's concerned, yes I did," Sephiroth nodded. "Shall I tell you my version of the events?"

"You mean, shall I listen to you lie."

"Once again you presume the worst of me," Sephiroth muttered. He hadn't expected this to be easy, he had known when concocting this plan that Terra was no fool. But it was still trying his patience to be blocked so quickly. He had to get her talking and listening, ascertain her abilities first-hand. Whatever influence she had over Cloud, he had to discover and break. The story he had prepared was the first step towards that break. "Listen and judge for yourself who is lying."

"….alright. Make it quick," Terra said after a moment. Sephiroth nodded again. He made a show of looking away and taking a breath.

"It is true, I summoned the ultimate magic Meteor to impact my world…but it was never my intent to destroy it. In that, Cloud is sorely mistaken. Has he told you of the species that predated the humans on our world?" Sephiroth turned his eyes to Terra.

"The Ancients. Humans with magical power, yes he told me," Terra said. Cloud had made a brief mention of them, but hadn't gone into the details.

"The Ancients is the common name, the proper name is 'Cetra'. But whatever you call them, they were nearly destroyed by a monster from another world. An calamity from the sky, called Jenova. Jenova descended and nearly exterminated the Cetra before she was sealed. Two thousand years later, scientists found Jenova's remains and falsely identified her as a Cetra."

"Shinra, and they developed SOLDIER to imbue humans with her powers," Terra finished. "Cloud told me this already."

"And did he tell you who was the first experimental SOLDIER, not just imbued with Jenova's cells but injected with them as a fetus to grow and merge them?" Sephiroth asked coldly, giving her a look. Her interruptions were annoying him quickly. Terra blinked, and Sephiroth calmed slightly. He already knew what was coming next – a sign his plan would not be an entire waste.

"That part he left out," she admitted. _"So that's why his eyes glow, he's a SOLDIER like Cloud was…"_

"Eventually I found the Shinra research notes, and was informed of my true nature," Sephiroth clenched his fist, the rage he now felt was genuine and not for show. "I learned from textbooks and diaries that I was only semi-human, virtually a hybrid with Jenova herself. I came to think of myself as her son, the last Cetra. I misread the research notes, and they were misinformed as it was. Mistake built upon mistake in a horrid series of misunderstandings…when it ended, I was dead, but my spirit endured within the Lifestream. I learned the truth, of myself, of Jenova and of the Cetra."

"And what did you do?" Terra asked. Sephiroth smiled inwardly at the tone in her voice. He has accomplished what he had intended – he'd drawn her into the story, gotten her attention. What he had told her thus far was the truth, more or less. Now came the tricky part.

"I felt a deep shame," Sephiroth said. "I had committed an unspeakable atrocity in the name of a false vendetta. I thought myself the avenger of the Cetra, but instead I was the son of their destroyer. I made a decision then. I would correct not just my mistake, but the mistakes of my mother." Sephiroth turned back to Terra and made a show of inhaling slowly. "I decided to undo what Jenova had done, and restore the Cetra to the planet."

"How, they were dead."

"Mostly. Their spirits endured within the Lifestream as mine had. Over time, I was able to exert an influence over Jenova's body in the world of the living, and form her into a new body for myself. My true body was dead but through Jenova I was reborn. It was then, I considered what I had learned within the Lifestream, and formed my plan. If I could form myself a new body from Jenova, why could others not do the same? Why could other lingering spirits not use her cells to gain a second chance at life? If I could gain a greater degree of control over the Lifestream, over the spirits of the Cetra, then, with my control over Jenova…well, you fill in the rest."

"Why are you telling me this?" Terra asked suddenly. His story lined up with what Cloud had told her, but something wasn't right. Sephiroth seemed entirely different than what Cloud had described to her. Cloud had told her about a cold, ruthless murderer. Sephiroth was chilly yes, but he didn't seem violent. And if his story was true…but why was he telling her so much on his own will, what did he expect to achieve? Or, what did he want from her?

"To tell you the truth Cloud refuses to see," Sephiroth said sternly. "I had a plan to restore the Cetra to the planet, to give new life to the species Jenova had destroyed. Who was it that journeyed around the world to stop me? Who was it that took such great pains to see my plan for a new world foiled?"

"Cloud didn't have a choice, you were trying to destroy his world!" Terra cried.

"What point would there be in that?" Sephiroth said, trying to keep calm with the woman constantly cutting him off and blocking his attempts to win her over. "I had no desire to destroy the world. True, the impact of Meteor would cause devastation. But whom would it be that would suffer? The Shinra. I had called Meteor to strike at the heart of the company, and when I had control over the Lifestream I could have stopped the flow of Mako energy that was killing the planet. I would have destroyed the Shinra and restored the Ancients in the same breath. A pity I never got to that point."

"So that's it?" Terra snorted. "You came to explain to me how you tried to destroy the world for a good cause?" It sounded good, but she knew better. Cloud had made it clear to her what Sephiroth had done. Sephiroth may have had an alternate perspective on the events, but there was nothing to say he wasn't just lying. Again, Terra wondered what his real purpose was here with her. He had said he'd come to warn her, but warn her against what?

"Exactly. Believe me or don't, it's your choice. As I said, I came to warn you that Cloud is not what he seems. I have told you what I attempted to do, and what he stopped. Cloud is a good man, for the most part. But only a fool cannot see the darkness in his heart. When the situation calls for it, Cloud will do what he must do. So tell me, Terra, what do you think he will do when he finds out what you are?" Terra gasped, taken off guard by Sephiroth's sudden question. She hadn't even known he knew about her Esper side, and wasn't prepared for that question. She recovered, and thought for a moment.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Terra asked. Sephiroth closed his eyes and smirked. As he had thought, their bond was not as strong as it appeared. Whatever sway Terra held over Cloud, and whether she was protecting his mind actively or subconsciously, he knew a way to make her falter. In the end, he suspected he'd have to do very little but make the mistrust already present grow larger.

"You hide yourself from him. I don't question this choice at all. I've seen the carnage the creature you call an 'Esper' can cause. You hide the truth of yourself from him, but I wonder why? Perhaps, in the depths of your heart, you know I speak the truth. Do you think Cloud would hesitate to turn his blade against you if he knew of the power dwelling within you?"

"He wouldn't, not unless I lost control," Terra said. "And even then, he'd try and bring me back. I trust him."

"Trust him? You barely know him," Sephiroth replied. "How many secrets do you keep from each other? You hide the truth of your powers, and do such a poor job he has told you outright he knows you hide it. And he has his own secrets his keeps from you. Cloud has mysteries about him even he cannot solve. He's a self-delusional, he convinces himself what he wants to be true, is. He wraps himself so tightly in his cocoon of lies that eventually even he doesn't know what the truth is. Cloud clings to shards of memory that are as fake as the guise of humanity you wear, and uses them as excuses to justify his actions. How can you trust someone like that?"

"What reason do I have to trust _you_?" Terra shot back. "You make a lot of accusations about Cloud, but you're wrong. He's been honest to me."

"You are so deluded it's almost saddening. He keeps even more secrets from you than you from him. You really have no idea how suspicious he is of you. Cloud is a valuable companion, but he's a danger to you. Do you think Cloud will see you as friendly when the monster inside of you emerges? No, he will see you as a threat, and regardless of the truth he will destroy you. Just as he did to me, Cloud will refuse to see himself as the self-righteous fool he really is and will destroy you for reasons even he doesn't understand. You trust someone like that?" This time, Terra didn't reply. Sephiroth let out a small snort and turned his back to her.

"Don't be so naïve. The real truth is that he and I are exactly alike. I will concede I caused great catastrophe, but I did so with good in my heart. I did the wrong thing for the right reasons, I will admit that, but I am not the only one. Would you not say the same of Cloud, who stopped Meteor and in doing so condemned the Ancients to die out and allowed Shinra to endure?" Sephiroth began walking away, not looking back. "Consider me a foe if you must, but do not delude yourself into thinking Cloud is a trustworthy ally. He travels with you because he needs you, and when you prove yourself too dangerous he'll kill you without a thought."

"You're lying. Cloud and I are friends, we trust each other," Terra repeated.

"Really?" Sephiroth looked over his shoulder. "Then show him what you really look like when your power takes hold of you. Or, perhaps you should investigate his lies." Sephiroth smiled. "Ask him what sort of dreams he had last night. See how much you can trust him when he fumbles to answer such a simple question." Sephiroth vanished in a violet flash a moment later, leaving Terra alone at Leo's grave. Terra stared at the spot where he had stood silently, then turned and walked back to the house.

* * *

Sephiroth re-appeared in a lower chamber in Kefka's tower, an Esper capsule nearby casting shadows over the room from the light of the teleportation. The light faded, and Sephiroth noted the silence in the room. Kefka had been gone for some time now, he'd come back that morning after their initial confrontation, and after sulking around the tower for a few hours had vanished again without a word. Sephiroth wasn't sure where he had gone, but he didn't particularly care. At least he was out of the way.

"Welcome home." Sephiroth frowned and tilted his head up to see Golbez watching him from a catwalk overhead. "I trust your evening was eventful?" Golbez asked, walking along the catwalk.

"I trust _you_ know how I spent it," Sephiroth replied. "You always seem to know everything."

"You give me too much credit. I know only what I feel I need to know, anything else is a triviality," Golbez said. "But since you accused me such, allow to me reply that no, I do not know what you were doing. Hence my curiosity, if I already knew I wouldn't be here now."

"I see," Sephiroth let out an inner sigh at Golbez's words. Golbez had been an intelligent and valuable accomplice once, but now they had parted. Their partnership had endured only because Sephiroth needed him, and now he did not. Obviously Golbez was under the presumption they still had business together, or that Sephiroth's business was still his. "May I ask why you care?"

"Does a man need a reason to show interest in a partner's actions?"

"Our partnership has ended, Golbez. Do not mistake us as friends, I simply needed someone capable of guarding me and you were the one I deemed suitable. I've no further need for you and thus have no reason to be social towards you."

"I have never had any reason to do so to you either," Golbez said, irritated. "Since you seem so intent on being cold to me, then I shall tell you that Mateus came to me and ordered me to gather what happened here today. Apparently Kefka has been making quite a racket in the Chaos Shrine. Given that this _is_ Kefka who's ranting it's been difficult to understand the problem, but we managed to gather that it concerns you. Mateus wishes to know what's going on."

"The problems I have with Kefka could take an hour to recite, and his with me would likely take just as along," Sephiroth said. "The problem that I imagine he's ranting about would be Terra. Fortunately I've reason to believe that problem has been solved and so he has no further need to bring it up."

"And which problem would that be, and how was it solved?"

"Terra," Sephiroth said simply. Golbez waited for a moment before motioning with his hand for him to continue. "Somehow, she has begun to appear in Cloud's dreams. She's distorting his memories and preventing me from extracting them."

"I see. No wonder you're so irritated," Golbez said. He thought about what he'd just been told. Had this been what Cosmos meant, when she said Terra and Cloud would help each other? He had to know more, Mateus and Garland had begun to tighten their defenses and he couldn't slip away to see Cosmos again. "How is she doing this?"

"I do not believe she does it consciously," Sephiroth began, "I sensed minimal psychic abilities from her. Yet, to disrupt my influence over Cloud, she must still have some hold on him. I went to see her, to ascertain the nature of this hold."

"And what did you discover?"

"As I said, I sensed little psychic power in her, and she did not indicate any knowledge of Cloud's dreams or my control over him. I doubt she is interfering on purpose, I suspect it is some sort of subconscious ability brought about by their growing bond. Assuming this is the situation, I took steps to weaken that bond. I read some of her mind, and as I already knew she and Cloud keep secrets from each other. She hides her true power, and he hides his dreams. What's more, the two of them both knew the other is hiding something."

"What exactly did you do?" Golbez asked, growing worried. Cloud and Terra needed to be close and trusting of each other to persevere, if their bond faltered they would both perish. The plan was nearing completion soon, he couldn't allow all the work he and Cosmos had done to fall through now.

"I did nothing. The two of them shall push each other apart on their own. The suspicion and secrecy is already there. I simply pushed them to grow larger. Wait and see, Golbez. You aren't the only one versed in manipulating the emotions of others."

"I see." Golbez's worries had only grown now. He had no way of contacting Terra yet, and if Sephiroth had indeed done something to destabilize her bond with Cloud, then he had a dire problem. Just how much damage Sephiroth had done he couldn't tell yet, not without seeing it first-hand. "What does Kefka say about this?"

"Does it matter? It's been done and nothing will change that. Let him say whatever he likes, he usually does anyway."

"So he is yet unaware of your actions then."

"My apologies," Sephiroth sneered. "I was unaware that I require his _permission_ to act. He had his chance, I told him of the situation and he insisted it was my problem, not his. And if he likes to behave that way, then I'll treat my problem as such and solve it on my own. And I believe I have. If he's unhappy, it's his own doing for not taking the responsibility himself."

"You say 'if', as if it were uncertain he would be displeased," Golbez said. "The two of you are supposed to be cooperating, this is hardly suitable. Mateus won't be pleased"

"You keep saying that as if I should care," Sephiroth said. He was irritated now. "Who is left, Golbez? Me, Kefka, you, Mateus, Garland and the Cloud of Darkness. If you want to waste time wagging your finger at me for disobeying authority, go ahead. I care about my plans reaching fruition. And I will do anything to make that happen. You can tell Mateus that if he has a problem with my actions, he can tell me himself."

Golbez stared at Sephiroth sternly, violet lightning racing along his armor. He vanished a moment later. Sephiroth watched him go and snorted.

"Fool."

* * *

The horizon was beginning to lighten. Dawn was approaching. Terra let out a breath as she watched the sky over the blanket of trees out the window. She had stayed awake all night without realizing it. She had tried to sleep, she had slipped back into bed after Sephiroth had left, but sleep wouldn't come. Her mind kept racing with what Sephiroth had told her. She knew most of it had to be lies, but some of what he said made sense, and against her better judgment, she believed more of it than she should have.

She knew Cloud was keeping something from her. The way he kept looking at her strangely, even when he thought she didn't notice. His trouble sleeping, his memories that he had said he was forgetting but hadn't mentioned to her in over a week. There was obviously something wrong with him, and she couldn't shake the feeling it had to do with her. His outburst at her before the Malboro attack in particular stuck in her mind.

"_Shut up…you can't be talking to me because you aren't here to talk to anyone!"_

"_What did he mean by that?"_ Terra thought, casting her eyes downward. _"I'm not here…"_ His words after the declaration hadn't made her feel any better. He had brushed her off and insisted he hadn't meant anything, and then yelled at her again about her hair. It was bad enough having a reminder of her burden fill her field of vision whenever her hair fell out of place, but to have Cloud point it out to her himself…

There was a sound behind her, and Terra looked over her shoulder from her seat at the window. Cloud shifted in his bed and turned away from the window. He would probably be waking up soon. Terra thought of Sephiroth's mention of Cloud's dreams. Cloud hadn't made any mention of any dreams to her, and she had no reason to think he was having any problems with his dreams. What could he have been dreaming about that would effect his behavior in the ways she'd seen? And why wouldn't Cloud tell her?

"_But then, I've kept my secrets from him too," _Terra brought a hand up to the side of her face and fingered a stray lock of bright green hair. She had tried to keep the full extent of her powers secret from Cloud, and was failing miserably. He already knew she was lying to him, he had said so to her face. He hadn't made mention of it since, and Terra had just thought he was letting her sort her problems out on her own. But Sephiroth had still made sense when he had suggested Cloud was suspicious of her. He had every right to be, and yet he traveled with her and, Terra liked to hope, trust her too. Terra trusted him back that was for certain. So why couldn't she escape Sephiroth's words? Was she just being paranoid?

"_I have a right to be," _Terra thought. Her powers had brought her nothing but pain and loneliness. She still remembered the chorus of stares and whispers whenever she entered a new town, the adults watching her carefully and then looking away whenever she turned to them, the merchants being overly polite and stiff towards her. Did she think she was blind, that she didn't notice where their eyes kept straying? Whenever their travels had required them to stay in a town overnight she kept to their room in the Inn and let her friends shop for supplies in town.

The first time she had used her powers in battle was to destroy two soldiers in Magitek Armor that chased them as they fled Figaro Castle. Locke and Edgar had nearly tripped over themselves as the sight of the flames emanating from her palms. She had brushed them off, but that night resting outside the cave to South Figaro, she had thought back on it. That she could use magic was so natural to her, but they had been amazed. Had she done something wrong? Were they scared of her? It wasn't until later, when she'd asked them directly, that Terra learned magic was thought to be a myth.

Much later, when her friends had begun to draw on the powers of Magicite and use magic on their own, she had felt more accepted. But even then, there was a division. Now her hair was green, and in the heat of battle when her powers were at their peak, she would transform into her Esper for a brief period of time. It was a dangerous thing, to tap into her full powers but to keep her primal, bestial Esper side at bay while she did it. And every time she did it, her friends worried for her. She had seen the looks in their eyes the first time she changed of her own will. Locke later told her they weren't afraid of her, just concerned for her safety. Terra wished she had believed him. She didn't hate or begrudge her friends for being afraid of her Esper, they had every right to be afraid of it. So how could she blame them, when they'd done nothing wrong? It was her power, after all…

There was another sound, and Terra heard Cloud let out a moan. She turned her head to see him turn onto his back and blink open his eyes. Cloud lay still for a moment staring at the ceiling, then turned his eyes to her.

"Good morning," Terra said softly. Cloud let out a yawn and sat up, clenching and opening his eyes.

"Did I oversleep?" he asked.

"No, it's just morning now. It was a long night," Terra answered. It had been, the night had been closer to normal length than usual, maybe a bit longer. But it had seemed to go by so quickly with her lost in thought over herself, Cloud and Sephiroth.

"So why are you awake then?" Cloud pushed back the blanket and stood up. Terra turned away to give him some privacy as he grabbed his shirt from the top of a dresser.

"I just couldn't sleep," Terra evaded. She remembered what Sephiroth had suggested to her. He was likely lying, he _was_ evil after all. Still, it couldn't hurt just to ask. "What about you?"

"I slept alright," Cloud said, his voice muffled slightly as he pulled his shirt on. "Are you going to be okay for today without any sleep?"

"I can draw on my magic to keep my energy up, I should be fine," Terra said. She had done it before during the expedition across the floating continent, though at that time she had been given her father's power to help her, but in theory she should still be able to do it. "So you slept well…" Terra hesitated before continuing. "Have any dreams?" Cloud's eyes widened slightly as he pulled his collar over his head, his senses going on alert.

"Why ask that?" he asked, trying to act casual. Terra couldn't have figured out what was happening to him, could she? As a matter of fact, the previous night was one of the increasingly rare nights he _hadn't_ dreamt her in one of his memories. But still, Terra had asked directly if he had dreamed. She had to have known something, she had never asked anything like this before so obviously something was changed. But did she directly know, or just suspect?

"I'm just curious," Terra said, turning back. "I'm not allowed to ask?"

"No, of course you can, it's just…you caught me off-guard, you've never asked me before," Cloud replied.

"Well I decided to, I'm sorry if it bothers you," Terra said. Cloud's entire body language had changed with her question. He was tense and defensive, in his body and in his voice. Terra realized quietly that Sephiroth had told her the truth – there was something amiss with Cloud's dreams. Something he was hiding from her.

"Well…no, actually. I didn't dream last night," Cloud shrugged and sat on the edge of the bed to pull his boots on.

"Oh. I see." With Cloud's head down, Terra watched him carefully trying to decide exactly what was passing through his head. If he hadn't dreamed, or if he had and they weren't anything important, why stutter to answer the question? What could he have been hiding about his dreams that would make him act that way? Terra couldn't think of any secrets Cloud would have to keep, he'd told her a lot more about himself than she had told him. There was nothing obvious he was keeping from her.

"_So that means…it could be almost anything," _Terra thought. She felt hurt. What would Cloud hide from her, and why? She trusted him as much as she was able to without telling him the truth of her powers, and in spite of his suspicion of those he seemed to trust her. Until now, at least. _"But then, doesn't he have the right to keep a secret from me? I'm keeping one from him…"_ Terra looked away as Cloud lifted his head from his boots.

"_Was she watching me?" _Cloud saw the motion of Terra's head turning as he looked up. She'd been staring at him and had looked away when he had turned his attention from his clothes. What was she doing watching him, there was nothing even remotely interesting about his boots. _"What's hiding from me this time?" _It still bothered Cloud, the painfully obvious secret Terra paraded in front of him every day while simultaneously hiding it from him. Every time he looked at her, the transformation of pale blond to bright green hair pulled his attention towards it.

Part of him just wanted to grab her and demand what she wasn't telling him. It was driving him insane. He knew for a fact Terra was, or had become, connected to whatever force was playing havoc with his mind. What if it was also the cause of the change of her hair coloring? He had to know how and why it had changed, but she had refused to give him a straight answer. He'd only asked once, though. Maybe if he asked again…

"Well? What do we do today?" Cloud asked instead.

"We keep going of course," Terra said softly. "We're getting closer to that source of power I feel. I don't know how much longer it will take to get there, but it can't be that much further on." Now that Terra had confirmed Sephiroth's words, the home that otherwise would have been warm and inviting now seemed tight and cold. She couldn't think about what she had learned here, she needed to get out, somewhere out there where she and Cloud could focus on Crystelles and the Crystals. She needed a distraction.

"Right then, onwards and upwards," Cloud nodded. She was acting as if nothing was wrong, business as usual. Did she not know the frustration she was causing him, or just not care? He should have just cut to the chase and asked her and kept asking until she broke down and admitted the truth. They didn't have time to waste with secrecy and lies, they needed to trust each other if they were going to find the Crystals. _"Secrecy and lies…isn't that exactly what I'm doing?" _Cloud asked himself. He scowled slightly.

"I'm a self-righteous idiot," he muttered angrily, glaring at the floor.

"Huh?" Terra said.

"Just thinking aloud," Cloud replied, grabbing the Buster Sword from the foot of the bed. "I'm gonna go downstairs." Terra let out a breath as Cloud's footsteps echoed up into the room. Formerly cold, now that she was alone the room was absolutely frigid.

"So…I guess I didn't have enough to worry about already," she sighed. With a slight grimace, Terra stood up and picked up her cloak from the back of the chair. She clasped it around her neck and followed Cloud downstairs. _"I'll figure this out on my own. If Cloud wants to hide let him, he's let me keep my secrets so he can keep his. Whatever he's hiding though, even if he won't tell me, I'll find out."_

**This chapter is a bit shorter, but since a lot of important stuff happened here I figured it was alright. I finally got Dissidia btw, and it's a blast. I've been dropping references to the games all along, but with this I'll probably figure out how to toss out a few more.**


	15. Courage

**Happy New Years everybody! A bit of a late update but hey, it was the holiday season, as I'm sure you can imagine I was busy. Hope you all enjoyed Christmas, or whichever faith you've chosen, and wish you all an enjoyable 2010!**

**As a note, though it's still a work in progress, you Kingdom Hearts fans should keep watch, my first one-shot involving KH characters is in the works, so if you like Roxas and Xion, stay tuned for that too! **

**Finally, Shantotto WILL appear in the story! I thought it through and finally thought of a place to fit her in where it made sense. She won't appear until close to the end but she'll be there, so there's something to look forward to.  
**

Shards of Memory

Chapter 15

Courage

"_**Conscience in the soul is the root of all true courage. If a man would be brave, let him learn to obey his conscience."**_** – **James F. Clarke

* * *

"You WHAT!"

Sephiroth closed his eyes and let out a murmur of irritation as Kefka's shriek reverberated back and forth across the small room. He waited for the echo to die down before opening his eyes. Kefka's eyes were bulging, and his breathing was heavy, almost panting. Kefka moved his mouth a few times without speaking, before cocking an eyebrow and forcing a smile.

"Can you repeat that?" he choked out. Sephiroth let out another murmur.

"I said, I spoke to Terra, and-" Sephiroth was cut off by the sound of shattering glass. Glass rained down on the catwalk between him and Kefka as a nearby Esper capsule exploded from a blast of magic.

"WRONG-O!" Kefka shouted, lowering his hand. "You don't talk to Terra. Ever. No. Nonononononono. We're not playing that game."

"If you could find the self-control to cease your mindless ranting," Sephiroth growled lowly, "then I can explain. I offered you the chance to handle it yourself, but you refused so I dealt with it. I spoke to Terra simply to try and distance her from Cloud, thereby making my manipulations of him easier to carry out. I believe I succeeded, so I find no further need to talk to her again. And if this is a problem, I remind you again that you already turned down the chance to do it yourself. That's hardly my fault."

Kefka moved his mouth again, lifting a finger and leveling it at Sephiroth's chest.

"Don't…_ever_…talk to her again!" he snarled. "She's mine. I don't screw around with Cloud do I? No, so you stay out of my business!"

"And what if your business is also my business? Terra constituted a direct threat to me. I intervened, in a way I ought to note has no bearing on your plans for her." Kefka once again attempted to speak, then scrunched his face up in a mask of furry.

"….screw you," he hissed.

"Hmph."

Kefka turned away and marched down the catwalk, leaping onto the elevator platform where the destroyed Esper capsule's bottom lay and reclining in it.

"So, you talked to her," he said after a moment, "and?"

"My extraction last night was successful," Sephiroth nodded. "There was no interference this time."

"Well at least it worked, otherwise I might be angry," Kefka mumbled. "Do yourself a favor and stay away from her in the future."

"Am I meant to feel threatened by that?" Sephiroth asked. Kefka opened his mouth to answer, when the room began shaking. Sephiroth was thrown off balance and stumbled forward, grabbing the railing of the catwalk to steady himself. Kefka grabbed the edges of the Esper capsule and braced against them as the earthquake shook the tower. As quickly as it began it was over, and Sephiroth reared back to his full height.

"What the hell was that?" Kefka asked, climbing out of the capsule.

"I am not sure," Sephiroth said. This wasn't the first time they had felt the quakes. They were getting more frequent now, and more violent. Given that the metaphysics and physics alike meant that the world they inhabited now shouldn't experience earthquakes, it was unsettling. Sephiroth wondered for a moment what the earthquake could have meant. None of the options were appealing. _"They have become worse and more recurring as the Crystals have been restored…could they be related to the fall of the worlds? Or to their restoration?"_ Sephiroth thought for a moment.

"Kefka," he called.

"What?" Kefka snapped.

"Do you ever suspect there are things we aren't being told?"

"Like what?"

"For instance, the cause of these earthquakes. Given the nature of the worlds, such a thing should not be possible, and they occur all the same. Why?"

"Maybe Chaos fell down the stairs, who knows?" Kefka shrugged. He turned away and hopped off the catwalk to a lower ledge. Sephiroth narrowed his eyes.

"I would wager I know someone who does."

* * *

_"We're closer than ever, I can feel it. We're almost to…whatever it is I've been sensing," _Terra thought, looking over the valley yawning at her toes. Atop a mountain Cloud claimed to have recognized from his world, they had stopped and taken shelter among a pile of scrap metal and broken machinery. The climb up the mountain had been difficult, but Terra wanted to continue on once Cloud had rested. The events of yesterday still plagued her thoughts, but as long as she focused on their journey and didn't stop and think fully about the implications, she felt better.

Yesterday had not been pleasant for her. She and Cloud had continued walking along what she now knew as Thamasa's coast, until the coast had ended at a field of rocky hills and plains. The hills had gone on for quite a distance, until they had stopped for the night. A few roaming Crystelles had found them, and that had cut the rest short. That morning they had found what Cloud called "Mt. Corel", and began their climb. The journey had been long and with few distractions. For one of the first few times since they had met, it had been quiet as well. Cloud had said little, and she said even less.

Terra didn't like silence. She had quickly developed distaste for it working with the Returners. When people were talking, things were being discussed and progress towards whatever goal they had was being made. It was when the room fell silent that everyone retreated into their thoughts, and for Terra, it was a retreat into thoughts of her power, her future, her destiny. All topics she was afraid to think about. She had taught herself to be forcibly optimistic to try and keep herself away from those thoughts. As long as she had a goal to push onwards for, she could focus on it and not on her own problems.

But her attempts to do so with Cloud had failed. There was nothing she could say to him, not after the previous day. He had been distant from her, rightfully so, and Terra in turn had pulled back as well. She couldn't blame him at all. In retrospect, she was amazed Cloud had become so close to her and her to him, considering how many secrets they were both keeping. Against her better efforts, the gravity of their situation was finally getting to Terra, and hopelessness was beginning to settle in. She had been questing for…she had long ago lost track, weeks now at the very least. And she had lost one ally, acquired another that didn't trust her and she couldn't trust, she hadn't regained any control over her powers, and she was no closer to finding her Crystal. Her only success was getting closer to the mysterious source of energy she had been following, but that was still a journey in progress and for all she knew she was following a dead end.

Terra's powers were beginning to well up again; the Esper was growing restless. Terra had long since abandoned any hope of controlling her powers. When she had first lost control in Narshe it was only Ramuh's presence that had tamed the Esper to the point she could keep herself relatively calm, and then Maduin had taught her how to subdue the Esper and revert the transformation. It was only with his guidance that Terra had felt comfortable enough to allow herself to transform, to tap into her true powers for a brief time. She and her father held the Esper back while Terra used its powers, and she had quickly learned that her powers increased exponentially in her other form.

The great guardian of the Floating Continent, the legendary Ultima Weapon, would have perhaps killed her and her friends if she hadn't used her Esper abilities to match and eventually overpower it. Laying on its side dying, a four-foot gash on its side from where Terra had sliced it with a blade of magical energy, Ultima Weapon had turned its eyes to where she floated above it, and sent a mental message to her. The beast's final thoughts were for her and her alone.

"_You…are not…one of them," _it whispered in her mind. _"That…human form…is naught but a mask…"_

"_Was he telling the truth?" _Terra wondered, lifting a hand to her heart. Had Ultima Weapon, the Esper war machine manufactured a millennium ago, sensed within her the truth she had spent so much time denying? _"Am I a human who shares the body of a monster…or a monster that shares the body of a human…"_

"No!" Terra said sharply. "That's not it at all, I'm not monster!"

"_It's another monster!"_

"_It's scary..."_

"_I'm afraid..."_

"I'm not a monster…I'm NOT!" Terra screamed the last word, the cry echoing through the air. She slumped forward to her knees, hanging her head. "I'm not a monster…the Esper, that isn't who I really am! I'm me! I'm human...I'm…I…" Terra licked her suddenly draw lips and let out a shaky breath.

_"How are we supposed to beat Chaos like this?" _Terra thought, her shoulders slumping. _"I can't control my powers, I can't find my Crystal,I can't even get Cloud to trust me…" _There was a low rumble, and Terra lifted her head. A lone bright violet Crystelle loomed over her atop a ledge. The automaton let loose a cry, and Terra weakly lifted a hand towards it. A blast of fire slammed into the Crystelle's head, pitching it backwards off the ledge to shatter on impact with the ground below.

_"We've killed dozens of Crystelles, but there's always more. They're forged from the light of the worlds, so there could be millions of them. I just killed that one easily, but what's the point when it's just a drop in the lake?"_ Terra turned away from where the Crystelle had stood. _"All the fighting, is it really going to do any good? Gabranth told us Shinryu would just revive the losers when they die, so can we really win? I…I…" _Terra closed her eyes. A single tear slipped out from under the lid and slid down her cheek. _"I can't…I'm trying to save you father. But I can't do it alone."_

"I believe we have already discussed how unfitting crying is for you."

Terra gasped and jumped to her feet, turning around. The voice had come across the shallow valley behind her, from a ledge on the mountain. Standing in the shadow of the twilight sun shining over the mountain was a figure. Terra squinted and made out the faintest outlines of dark armor.

"You again," she called. "You keep hiding yourself from me. You're running out of shadowed places to conceal your true identity."

"I come this time with intent to conceal nothing," the figure said, stepping forward into the light. Terra looked him over, unsure of what to make. At least, she and her mysterious ally stood face to face. Or at least they would have, were it not for the large horned helmet covering his head.

"Who are you?" Terra asked.

"I am Golbez. Perhaps my name is known to you?" the figure replied, crossing his arms. Terra thought for a moment. Somehow the name _did_ seem familiar, but its exact origins escaped her. "I see I am mistaken. Very well. I am brother to one Cecil Harvey."

"Cecil," Terra breathed. Cloud's companion before he had met her. Which meant…

"Ah, _that_ name you know."

"I know who you are now," Terra said, growing tense.

"Enlighten me," Golbez coaxed, turning and taking a narrow path down the mountainside.

"You're Cecil's elder brother, you're the one who seized the Crystal of his world," Terra said as Golbez followed the winding trail down to her. "You're working on the side of Chaos. You're my enemy."

"A pity you made that last statement, or else your perceptions of me would have been entirely accurate," Golbez said, now walking directly towards her. "Have I not been of assistance to you? Have I not guided you closer to your ultimate goal, the Crystal?"

"Or a trap. I don't know what's ahead either way," Terra replied.

"Paranoia is as unfitting of you as tears. Why turn your venom to me, Terra?"

"You're evil. You plunged Cecil's world into darkness."

"You've much to learn my dear." Golbez stopped a few feet in front of Terra. Terra shot a not-so-discreet look behind her. The path ahead was wide, she could flee if needed, but it would be risky. "Do you think all evil men are as unforgivable and wicked as Kefka?"

"You know Kefka?"

"I know more of him than I'd care to. His evil aside, I wonder not why you despise him so. He is rather irritating, and his thirst for chaos, unquenchable. You've more than sufficient reason to fear him, and to want to destroy him."

"I can't destroy him," Terra shook her head. "I'm not powerful enough on my own."

"Why do you say this?" Golbez asked. "Have you not felled Kefka in the past?"

"That was different, I fought him alongside my friends with my father guiding my powers. Now I'm alone."

"Alone? And what of the young man in your company?" Golbez said.

"Cloud? He…" Terra trailed off, unsure of how to voice what was in her mind. Golbez watched her and closed his eyes. He reached out his mental powers and brushed Terra's mind. Terra recoiled visibly, and Golbez withdrew. He had seen enough.

"Your mind and heart are clouded with doubt and despair. Is this how you expect to defeat the forces of discord?" Golbez asked.

"You take one brush of my thoughts and presume to know me?" Terra glared. "Don't judge me. You know nothing about me." Golbez was silent, then turned his head to the side and lifted his hand. With a crackle of lightning, a dark portal opened in the side of the cliff.

"Come," he ordered, walking towards the portal. "There is something I would show you." Terra stood her ground as Golbez began to step through the portal. He stopped and turned his head to look at her, one foot already through the dark doorway. Terra took a breath and stepped forward, following Golbez through the portal. The moment her foot left the ground and passed through, the portal crackled and closed.

* * *

Cloud stared at the fire crackling before him, watching the flames dance. Terra had gone ahead to scout the path and determine how to get down the mountain to keep following the presence she had sensed. He had welcomed her absence, though he felt bad for thinking that way. He had too much on his mind lately, a lot of it concerning Terra. He had an easier time thinking about them and trying to sort out his problems when one of the primary causes of them wasn't around.

He had yet another dream about her the previous night, another memory where Terra didn't belong. They were becoming more vivid now, too vivid. The dreams and his memories were blurring together now, Terra was beginning to slip into his normal memories outside the dreams. It was distressing to say the least. Cloud knew by all accounts he had never met her before, _could_ not have met her before. She was from an entirely different world, it was just simple logic that they never could have met.

_"So what do these dreams mean then?" _Cloud thought. He didn't have an answer for that. Something about Terra and the cataclysm had sparked this. The cataclysm had marked the beginning of the dreams. Terra's appearance in his journey had marked the point where she became part of them. But why? What could she have done to shift the dreams in such a direction?

_"Maybe that's the big secret she's been keeping from me," _Cloud thought, his eyes darkening. _"Maybe she _does_ know what's happening to me. She said when we meant she knew exactly what I was going through…no, that can't be it. She wouldn't, Terra…" _Cloud hated thinking such things about her, but he couldn't help himself: the dam of paranoia had broken. _"Has she been doing this all along? Leading me into battles with enemies, playing with my memories…maybe she's just been stringing me along all this time."_

"That doesn't make any sense," Cloud cried, grabbing the sides of his head. "I'm confusing myself now…" Cloud slowly closed his eyes.

_ "Every day we travel together, I feel myself getting closer to her. But…could she really be doing this to me? These dreams I have, the memories that I keep remembering, could they really be her?"_

"That secret…whatever she's keeping from me, that has to be the key," Cloud said. He was certain of it, somehow whatever secret Terra had, it was connected to his dreams. It was the only explanation that made sense. "But what is it?" Cloud thought, trying to unravel the mystery that was Terra. He knew she seemed familiar, she was a powerful mage, she was nice and friendly, she kept popping up in his dreams and memories, she sensed a powerful force calling her.

_"This secret is just up here. At least it should be…I feel it. It feels like I'm being led by something…"_

"What the…" Cloud blinked rapidly, an image of a thicket of trees flashing before his mind. The words had manifested in his mind from nowhere. The voice speaking them…Cloud strained himself. There had to be a reason he kept having these dreams. Dreams of memories he had, memories he was forgetting, and memories he had already forgotten. Were they trying to tell him something. Cloud closed his eyes and rifled through the memories he was regaining. There was something, something he was missing…

"Her," Cloud whispered. He remembered now, the strange female voice in the dreams, before he had met Terra. The invisible woman speaking to him in a voice that seemed familiar and yet new. Then, he'd met Terra, and the voice had attached itself to her. He knew a lot about Terra herself, but what did he remember about the voice? Cloud thought hard to remember all he could.

"She was a friend," he recited aloud. "I liked her…she was…she had power…she went away…" Cloud opened his eyes and blinked. "Where did she go…dammit, why can't I remember?" Cloud slapped a hand over his face and let out a cry of frustration.

_"Cloud, take care of yourself. So you don't have a breakdown, okay?"_

The voice again, the female voice in his head. Cloud closed his eyes again and searched his memory. What was she talking about? Where was this voice coming from?

"_Words… feelings…so many of them here."_

"Who are you?" Cloud grated out. "Answer me!"

With a flash, an image appeared behind his eyes. The memories and thoughts vanished, leaving a woman standing in front of him. Cloud tried to make the image focus, but the woman was blurry. Within his mind, the woman turned her head slightly. A bright green eye peered at him from behind long bangs.

"You…who are you?"Cloud wasn't sure if he had said it aloud, or thought it.

"_Have you really forgotten about me so easily?"_

Cloud's eyes clenched. That voice…this was her…but who was she? The green-eyed woman turned to face Cloud with a sad smile.

"_Hello, Cloud."_

_ "You…"_

The image vanished, and Cloud opened his eyes. He stood up and looked over the mountain.

"Terra?" he called, his voice echoing. "Terra!" there was no answer, she must have been too far away. Cloud shook his head. It was impossible, there was no way his memories could be real, but that had been the voice of his nightmares. The voice of the female he knew but couldn't see…he had seen her again, there in his deepest memories. But when she'd turned…

"It can't be," Cloud whispered. He kept repeating a mental mantra, telling himself it wasn't possible, he had to be hallucinating or insane or deluding himself somehow. But the idea kept circling his head, and the more he thought about it in spite of himself, the more it made sense. The woman who had faded from his memories…when she had turned to face him…

_ "Terra…who _are_ you?"_

_

* * *

_Golbez stepped out of the portal's exit and waited. Terra manifested behind him, appeared with a violet flash. She looked around nervously. Around them, dull gray and black mountains and hills rose from the earth. Small craters and holes littered the ground, and glowing silver spikes of rock erupted from the earth and jabbed into the air. Above them, a canopy of glowing stars decorated the sky.

"Where are we?" Terra asked.

"We are on the surface of the Red Moon," Golbez said, walking forward.

"Moon?" Terra cried. Golbez ignored her and continued walking to some unknown destination. Terra followed him, Golbez leading her past several mountains and craters, before he spoke again.

"In my world, this moon was an unnatural creation, manufactured by my people, the Lunarians. Centuries ago, they lived on another planet, but when it was shattered by disasters, a select few hundred of them boarded a great airship and took flight to Earth." Golbez stopped and lifted his head. Terra followed his gaze up to the sky. "The people of the 'Blue Planet' as they knew it, were primitive and violent, so the Lunarians crafted a new moon to live on. They hoped over time that humans would evolve to be their equals, and they could move to Earth and co-exist in peace. So the Lunarians slept, only my uncle, Fusoya, and my father Kluya remained awake to guard them. Eventually my father traveled to Earth and taught them many of the secrets of the Lunarians. He gave them airships, and magic, and for his generosity he was killed. It is from this short time that my brother Cecil and I were birthed."

Golbez resumed walking forward to the side of a taller plateau. With a small grunt, his feet hovered off the ground, and he and Terra floated upwards. The two set down on the plateau's top, and Golbez waved a hand at the horizon. Terra stepped forward to look at what lay some distance away.

Against a line of mountains, a large spire of blue crystal rose into the air. On its left was another spire, shorter, but it was blacked and its peak was shattered. The base of a third spire lay to the right of the first, only the base remaining. Before the three crystal spires lay a massive crater, large enough to consume a city and then some. The crater went deep, deep enough that its depths quickly became black and Terra could not see how far down it went.

"Behold the fate of the Lunarians," Golbez intoned. "When they left their world, they took eight Crystals with them, and used them to craft this moon. When the being that created those Crystals returned for them, his minions resurrected an old foe of my uncle's and mine, a spirit of malice and hatred named Zeromus. Fusoya sacrificed himself to save me so that I may join with my brother to fight this new enemy, but Zeromus unleashed all of his hatred, destroying himself, my uncle, and the Lunarians sleeping at the core of the moon. This crater is all that remains of their home now. And with me dead, my brother is all that remains of the Lunarian bloodline." Golbez turned to look at Terra. "Do you know why I have shown you this?"

"No," Terra said.

"To help you understand the burden you and I share, and that you share with Cloud and your other eight comrades. I joined with Chaos with the promise of being granted the power to restore my people to life, and myself. I burdened myself with darkness, so that I may assist the light in ways otherwise impossible. Have you not done the same? Have you not taken back the powers you once hated to save your world and your friends? I speak too lightly – indeed, if you fail, perhaps it is all the universe that will be consumed by the darkness of Chaos."

"You didn't need to bring me here to make me understand that. I know how many people are relying on us," Terra said. "I've traveled, I've seen the ghost towns and the chaos that the worlds have been left in. If the Crystals aren't restored, things will only get worse. I know that."

"Then why do you hold back the full extent of your powers? You should know better than I the great power that sleeps within your heart. Such power could be of great assistance in your struggle to defeat Chaos. Why contain it?"

"I keep it contained _because _I know how strong it is," Terra insisted. "You haven't seen the Espers of my world. A handful of them leveled the largest city on the planet in a matter of minutes. Collectively their race had enough power to create an entire realm to live in. That's the type of magic I have. Do you know what it's like to have such power inside you and be unable to control it?"

"No, I don't," Golbez admitted. "But I know you have controlled your powers before."

"With my father to guide them. I don't have that now. I've tried to control them since coming here, but I can't. I lose control and the Esper breaks loose."

"Then try harder. It's that simple."

"It's not that simple!" Terra shrieked. "Do you have any idea what I feel every time I use my magic? I can feel, physically _feel_, that monster clawing at my mind trying to get out. And if it does I can't control it. It could go on a rampage, it almost killed Onion Knight and the next time it could kill Cloud, it could even get itself and me killed! And you ask me to let it out? You're as insane as Kefka if you think I'll do that. I have enough trouble keeping my powers contained as it is. I won't push that, I won't! I won't let go of my control, not for anybody, and not just because you tell me to! I _will_ defeat Kefka, but I won't resort to that sort of risk to do it."

Terra gasped for breath slightly after her outburst. Golbez was silent as she caught her breath, then walked by her towards the edge of the plateau.

"Where are you going?" Terra asked, turning as he passed her.

"I am taking my leave of you," Golbez replied. "I thought with proper guidance you could rise to defeat Kefka. But I see now my efforts have been wasted on a coward."

Terra physically recoiled at Golbez's final word.

"I…I am not a coward!"

"I might have believed you, if you had spoken without stuttering. But your actions say more than words ever could. You conceal your true identity, from others and from yourself. You've so wrapped yourself in fear and doubt you could never defeat Kefka as you are now." Golbez took a deep breath. "But if you insist that you can fight him…very well then. You truly believe you can defeat Kefka?"

"Yes," Terra whispered.

"Well…we shall see then." Suddenly, Golbez spun around and flung out a hand, a bolt of electricity arcing through the air. Terra let out a scream as the bolt hit her, sending shocks through her body and flinging her backwards through the air. Terra hit the ground heavily and rolled onto her stomach. She let out a groan and coughed, a cloud of dust rising around her. She lifted her head to look up at Golbez standing over her at the edge of the plateau above.

"Attack me," Golbez commanded. Terra shakily climbed to her feet, her head throbbing from the landing.

"No."

"It was not a request. Attack me, show me this power that terrifies you so."

"You don't know what you're asking," Terra shook her head and took a step back. "I won't fight you!"

"I tire of these shows of cowardice. If you will not release the Esper, then I shall draw it out!" Golbez snapped his hands to the side, his feet floating into the air. His cape fluttered behind him as Golbez levitated off the ground. "Since you will not respond to reason, then you shall respond to force! When the time comes, Kefka will not hold back and neither shall I!"

"No," Terra took another step back. "You can't make me fight you."

"You're just a frightened child who cannot accept who and what she really is. I will liberate you from such crippling falsehoods. If you will not learn this and show your true strength than you've no chance of defeating Kefka. And if this is the case, then you're better off dying now! There is no other way, Terra! Fight me and prove yourself worthy of being a Warrior of Light, or stand there like a coward and perish!" And with that, Golbez flung out his hands and sent another bolt of lightning through the air. "Fight or die, make your choice now!"


	16. The Power of Fear: Terra vs Golbez

**Today marks the one-year anniversary of this story! And even better, as of now this story has passed the 100,000-word mark, my only story ever to do so! Truly a day for me to remember!**

Shards of Memory

Chapter 16

The Power of Fear – Terra vs Golbez

"_**Where love is great, the littlest doubts are fear; When little fears grow great, great love grows there."**_** – **William Shakespeare, _Hamlet_

_

* * *

_Terra leapt backwards, the lightning blast crackling against the moon dust and dissipating in her wake. She landed in a crouch as Golbez leapt up into the air, bringing a hand back over his shoulder. He flung his hand out, a wave of dark energy flying through the air. Terra lifted her hands and flung a fireball, the projectile slamming into the energy and exploding. Golbez landed and ran forward, an orb of darkness in his palm. He let out a cry and flung it forward. Terra jumped aside as the orb flew past her, and felt a rush of air on her neck. Golbez appeared behind her in a flash and slammed a second orb into her back. Terra let out a scream, the attack exploding and knocking her forward. She landed and had only a second to register where before the first orb exploded under her stomach, sending her flying. She landed heavily behind Golbez, and let out a groan.

"My patience has already reached its end," Golbez said, turning. "Do not push me further, or I'll be forced to do the same." Terra pushed herself up into a kneeling position, grimacing at a sore spot in her legs. "I'll give you a free opening, if it will encourage you to cease this charade," Golbez offered. Terra looked over her shoulder, giving Golbez a glare, and climbed to her feet. Golbez let out a sigh. "Very well." Golbez slammed a hand into the ground, a burst of darkness flying along the ground, a small fissure in its wake. Terra jumped out of the way, and brought her hands up to her chest. "I tire of this!" Golbez charged up towards her, another orb of energy in his hand. Terra flung out her hands, a large fireball launching from them. Golbez's eyes widened as the fireball hit him, knocking him back through the air. Golbez slammed into a stone spire rising from the ground, shattering it into rubble and landing behind it.

"About time, I was getting bored," Golbez muttered. He stood up and looked across the lunar landscape at Terra, standing poised. "Perhaps you do have a warrior's spirit within you after all."

"You've no idea."

"Then give me one."

Terra made a face, then ran towards Golbez, magical energy gathering along her arms. She flung her arms out and sent a barrage of white orbs forward. Golbez let out a small grunt and drew his cape over his chest, vanishing. Terra turned as he reappeared behind her and held out a hand, a bolt of lightning arcing towards her. Terra held her hands, a shield of energy rippling up from her feet. The energy crackled and sparked against the barrier, and Golbez narrowed his eyes. The attack stopped, and before Terra had time to react, Golbez rushed forward and pushed an orb of dark energy into Terra's chest. The orb exploded and sent her flying upwards. As she turned in the air, Golbez came into Terra's field of view, floating towards her with his arms crossed. Terra concentrated, wind whistling past her ears. Golbez neared her and drew back a hand over his shoulder.

Terra opened her eyes as a massive tornado surrounded her. Golbez was caught in the vortex and was spun over her head, flying through the air above her. Terra redirected the force of the winds and sent him spiraling backwards though the air. Golbez snapped his hands to the sides and righted himself in the air, looking up at Terra. Golbez noted that the young woman was now floating in the air before him, her posture more relaxed than he would have expected.

"Your powers are greater than before. But I sense you still hold back," he called.

"I don't want to hurt you," Terra said.

"A pity I'm not giving you a choice."

Golbez flung his hands together and fired a larger blast of lightning through the air. Terra held out her hands, and let out a cry as the lightning arcs towards her palms. The electricity snapped and crackled in the air, and Terra gritted her teeth and pushed, a ripple of magic shooting down the bolts. Golbez drew back his hands and charged forward, the lightning sparking off his armor as he pushed through the attack. He let out a shout and flung his hand up, knocking Terra upward. An orb of dark energy formed in the air, and Terra scream as a beam of yellow magic shot out, slamming her down to the ground.

Terra began to get up, when there was a flash underneath her stomach, and she rolled as a plume of dark fire burst up from the ground. Lying on her back, Terra held up her hands and concentrated as Golbez descended from above, fingers crackling with dark energy. A gauntlet-covered fist descended, and Terra erected a barrier over her head. Golbez's fist sent out a wave of darkness over Terra as it stopped an inch from meeting its target. Golbez raised his other fist, an orb of darkness collecting and growing in his palm. Terra narrowed her eyes and held back her right hand, an orb of blue magic appearing in a flash. Golbez punched, and Terra slammed her hand up through the barrier.

Blue magic met black, and Golbez was knocked backwards as the two spells exploded. He let out a groan as he slammed into a cliff, rocks and boulders shattering as he flew above them. On the ground, Terra crouched and leapt up after him. Golbez took a breath and lifted his hands above his head, stopping his flight. The rocks and boulders flying through the air in the wake of his impact reversed course, and floated up towards him. A rock hit Terra in the back, knocking her forward towards Golbez. Hands held out to the sides, rocks, boulders and dust whirled around him in a focused tornado. Terra let out gasp after scream as the rubble bombarded her from all sides, caught in the middle of the spell. Golbez pushed out a hand, knocking Terra back into the air. Dazed and bruised, Terra turned in the air, her mind slowly registering Golbez's actions. The largest rocks circling Golbez shattered into smaller pieces, until a small meteor field was surrounding him. With a final roar, Golbez drew his hand over his shoulder and flung it forward, his cape whirling behind him.

The rocks around Golbez ignited in orange and red fire and zoomed through the air. Terra's eyes widened, but it was too late to dodge or defend. The flaming meteorites pummeled her mercilessly, and her concentration broke. Terra fell through the air, driven back by the barrage. She hit the ground heavily, bouncing backwards to lie on her side. The remaining meteorites dug into the dirt around her, raising a cloud of smoke in their wake. A moment later, the spoke cleared, the ground underneath and around Terra burnt black. Terra lay still, her body aching. She licked her lips, tasting blood, and spit a clot of blood on the ground. A shadow loomed over her, and she angled her eyes up.

"You have been defeated," Golbez said, looking down at her. Terra didn't respond and turned her eyes down. "If I were less benevolent, you would be dead right now."

"I guess…thank you, then," Terra whispered.

"Do not thank me. It is out of pity, not mercy, that I spare you," Golbez warned. "As you are now you cannot hope to defeat Kefka. You are too weak both in body and in heart. You've crippled yourself with your fear, your doubt and your cowardice."

"I've good reason to be afraid."

"Do you now?" Golbez thought for a moment, then kneeled beside her, placing a hand on his knee. "What could possibly have happened to turn such a tenacious soul like yours into a cowardly little girl?" Terra didn't react to his words. "Even on the brink of death, you will not give in to your instincts and use your full potential. Is the Esper truly that horrifying?"

"You've no idea," Terra replied. Golbez was silent, then reached out and laid a hand on Terra's head. The reaction was immediate, and Terra tried to pull away. Golbez tightened his grip and held her still. "Don't," Terra said.

"You are not in a position to oppose me. You do not have the strength to block me out, not without killing yourself," Golbez said.

"I know. That's why I'm asking," Terra pleaded. Golbez locked eyes with her, and focused. Terra's eyes fluttered, and her eyes drifted shut.

"Forgive me for what I must put you through," Golbez murmured to the unconscious girl. He bowed his head, closed his eyes, and called upon his psychic abilities. A moment later, Golbez's body went slack, and he and Terra lay still on the floor of the Red Moon.

* * *

_"Wha…what is this?"_

Terra shifted slightly. An odd scent assaulted her nose, and the wind rushed past her ears. She turned around, feeling ground under her feet.

_"Why can't I open my eyes? Where am I?"_

"We are in the depths of your memory."

Terra turned at the sound of the voice and tried to open her eyes. It didn't work. She stumbled forward and held out her hands. It only took a second to find the speaker, and judging from the two spikes she felt between her fingertips as she touched cold steel, it was fairly obviously who was here with her.

"Golbez…"

"Who else?"

"Why can't I open my eyes?"

"There is nothing to see, not yet. I have not yet found the destination I seek."

"…destination? What are you talking about?"

"Search your heart. You know better than I why we're here."

Terra was confused, and brought her other hand up to feel out Golbez's shoulder while her right hand kept its grip on his lower arm.

"There are moments in our lives that we can never forget. No matter how long we live or how hard we try, those moments stay preserved in our hearts, and shape the foundation of who we are. These are the moments that define us, that change our lives, for better or worse, in a split second. Moments that alter our fate in ways we cannot anticipate, and send us down a new path."

Terra suddenly tensed, and Golbez turned his head down to look at her.

"You know where we are going."

"…I've an idea, yes."

"Then open your eyes and explain to me what it is we see."

Terra hesitated, and slowly cracked open her eyes. Her heart sank, and she spun her head away.

"Do not dare turn from this!" Golbez roared, clamping a hand on her shoulder. "I may have brought us here, but it is your own heart that told me where to go. You will bear witness to this." Terra slowly lifted her head and turned. The smell in her nose now made itself known – snow, freshly fallen, and mingled with the distant scent of burning coal. The cold wind rushing through her hair and around her ears made sense now. Terra lifted a hand to her chest and watched with detached fascination and horror as the specter of her past self stepped up and placed a hand on the block of ice on the bluff.

"Explain," Golbez commanded quietly.

"That is Valigarmanda," Terra said, watching her other self caress the frozen Esper's prison. "It is an Esper, frozen in ice a thousand years. It was found in a backwater mining town, and I was sent against my will to take it. When I first met it, it freed me from the Empire's mental control. The second time…" The wind picked up, and Terra watched as her other self tilted her head back, pale blonde hair turning bright green like a wave from her scalp.

"When I made contact with it, its mind was still active after all these years. In the space of a second, we shared a lifetime's worth of information. But even before I spoke to it, I knew the truth." Terra looked down and lifted her hands. Tendrils of pink flame emanated along her arms and palms, bathing her face with an eerie glow. "I wasn't human. I didn't know what I was, but I knew I was different. I knew I didn't belong, that there was something wrong with me."

"Wrong?" Golbez asked, turning his head to look down at her. "You consider your duality unnatural?"

"I'm the only Esper-human hybrid in the world, maybe in all of history," Terra replied, setting her mouth in a line. She clenched her hands into fists, the pink aura of energy evaporating in wisps. "I'm a creature born from two worlds, but I don't belong in either. My powers distanced me from humans. My human weaknesses made it clear to any Esper we met that I wasn't like them." As Terra spoke, the other Terra at the frozen Esper transformed in a flash of light and streaked into the sky. "No matter where I went, what I did, I never felt truly accepted." Golbez frowned.

"So you say," he said slowly. "But I sense doubt in your voice. This is not entirely true, isn't it?" Terra closed her eyes.

"I…I…yes, there was…" Terra opened her eyes, and let out a soft gasp. The scene before them had changed. Terra watched her other self, her hair now bright green, trudge along the dead earth underneath, her boots making impressions on the dust. The memory Terra licked dry lips and kept walking, her arms hanging limp. The sun was hot on the horizon, beaming down with all its intensity. All around Terra was nothing but dead wasteland, a sea of dust, bones and dead and dying trees and grass. The rotting husk of a world that had had its life carved out from it slowly over a year by an insane god.

"How long did you endure this wasteland?" Golbez asked.

"Three days. I was hungry the entire time, since I'd left Tzen and headed north-east to look for some hope I wasn't the only one of our band still alive," Terra said. "I didn't have any money for supplies so I had to go without food. I had to use my magic to purify the water from the rivers to be good enough to drink, but I never found anything to eat, not even monsters. I was so weak I could barely keep moving, but I didn't dare try to sleep because I had no idea what could be out there waiting for that chance to kill me."

The memory Terra blinked in the heat of the sun, and lifted a hand to shield her eyes. Golbez turned his head to where she was looking – a shape on the horizon. The memory Terra swallowed and lowered her hand, picking up the pace. Terra watched her run off in the distance, when the landscape suddenly whirled past them. The shape loomed up as a small, ruined village near the ocean.

"Mobliz…" Terra whispered. Golbez crossed his arms. The village was full of small children, looks of confusion, fear and despair dotting their faces. The main group of them were sitting and playing in a garden on a hilltop.

_"We're running out of supplies."_

Terra turned her head to the young man walking up the hill. At the top of the hill, a young girl waited for him and smiled as he stopped beside her.

_"How much longer can we hold out?" _the girl asked.

_ "A week, maybe a week and a half. All the crops are gone Katarin, we have nothing left."_

_ "So what do we do Duane?"_ Katarin asked. Duane ran a hand through his hair and sighed.

_"I don't know…if we could hunt and kill some of the monsters around here, or find a way to purify the water, we could try and pull through a bit longer, but we need something long-term. It doesn't help we have to use resources to nurse that woman back, we've barely enough food to feed ourselves without taking on a charity-"_

_ "Duane!" _Katarin cried, pointing. A few of the children turned at the sound of her voice, and Duane looked where she was pointing. The memory Terra stood at the doorway of one of the few remaining houses.

_ "I don't want to be a burden," _she whispered._ "I'll go, if you want me to."_

_ "Don't be silly," _Katarin replied._ "We're just in a bad place right now. We're low on food, all the village wells have dried up. We need to find a new way to take care of ourselves, and soon." _Terra was silent for a moment. Then, she spoke again.

_ "I think I might be able to help you."_

"I was so weak I felt like I was dying." Terra felt her eyes force themselves shut as the memory faded. "They saved me, took me in when by all accounts they couldn't even take care of themselves."

"And in return, you saved them," Golbez said, analyzing the memories being whispered in his mind. "You used your magic to heal wounds and illnesses that were slowly killing them. You hunted monsters for food, taught them to fish, purified water for them to drink."

"I was going to try the same with the farms outside of the town," Terra picked up, "see if we could try to grow food again if I cleansed the soil. The town and its people would have perished, if I hadn't arrived when I did. I found out fairly quickly none of my friends had passed through. By all accounts I should have moved on. But…they needed me. They couldn't survive without me, Katarin and Duane said so themselves. If I left, they would die."

"What right was it of yours then, to leave to pursue your own selfish desires and leave their village to wilt?" Golbez nodded.

"It wasn't like that," Terra said, shaking her head. "I was going to leave, I was planning on it. Store up a bit more food and water for them, teach Duane and a few of the older children to hunt, work harder to build up a better stock. Help them as best I could and move on to the next town. But…something changed. I'd been there two weeks…"

_"Hold still."_

Terra felt her eyelids loosen, and opened them as another memory appeared before her. One of the younger children was lying against the wall of a ruined house, her leg stretched out before her. Her face was red, and she was crying. The memory Terra knelt down and pushed down the fabric of the girl's sock, revealing a large red cut from an exposed piece of wood.

_"It doesn't look that bad," _the memory Terra said. _"Here."_ She held out her hands over the wound, and closed her eyes. The girl sniffed and watched as the cut glowed a bright blue and closed. Terra reached out and wiped off the small bit of blood left, revealing perfectly healed skin. _"There, that's better."_

_ "My mama never did that," _the girl said, smiling at Terra. _"She always put a piece of cloth over it, but it had some sort of icky stuff on it and it made me tingle."_

_"What happened to your mother?"_

_ "She went away when the light came and hasn't come back yet."_

_ "The Light of Judgment," _Terra whispered. She had heard tales of it, the beam of magical energy Kefka fired from atop his tower to burn towns. Duane and Katarin had told her the light had come not long after the world was ruined. Most of the adults had died trying to get their children to shelter, and the few survivors had perished from wounds.

_"Hey, if you can make me better, can you be my mama?" _the girl asked suddenly. Terra let out a small gasp and blinked. _"She's gonna come back, but until then, could you be my mama for me? In case I get hurt again?" _the girl repeated. Terra hesitated for a moment, and nodded.

_ "Alright," _she said._ "I can be your mama for you."_

"I really did want to leave the village. But, once she called me that…something changed," Terra said, closing her eyes willingly as the memory dissolved. "I don't know if it was me or them, maybe a little of both. But there was a new hope in the eyes of the kids. Eventually almost all of them were calling me that. A little while longer, and the looks in their eyes were different. There was something there, I didn't know what it was then but I knew how it made me feel. It made me feel wanted, I felt like I belonged at last for the first time I could ever remember. How could I leave that? So I stayed. I tried to understand that feeling, and the feelings they had begun to have for me. I buried my Esper, buried it so deep I almost never thought about it, and I tried to avoid using my powers at all unless I had to. I pretended I was just a normal human, and for so long, it worked. I think I almost forgot what I really was, until that day…"

"How long did you stay?"

"Almost full a year, when my friends found me. I was so happy, they were alive, a full year later and they were alive! They told me amazing stories…" Terra smiled as she remembered sitting at the table with Celes and Sabin in the back room of the underground sleeping room for the children, talking well into the night while the cup of tea in her hands grew cold. "The world wasn't dead, it was full of life still, and that life wasn't going to be destroyed. Towns were rebuilding, people were finding new purpose and new places. And they were seeking out the members of our band to strike back and destroy Kefka. I knew, if they had survived, surely everyone had. That meant there was hope, not just for the village, for the entire world. Hope that if Kefka was killed, the damage he had inflicted on us could be undone. But…" Terra's smile faded.

"They asked me to go with them, but I refused. I couldn't leave yet, I was still trying to understand what was happening to me. I couldn't fight, not when I had spent so long trying to repress the Esper. Sabin was angry, but Celes, when she looked at me I saw it in her eyes. She knew before I did was I was going through, she understood. She hugged me before they left and told me they'd be back when I was ready." Terra took a breath. "They came back two weeks later. They had a new airship, they had met Edgar and Setzer, and rescued more of our band from around the world. I was happier than ever, they really seemed to believe they had a chance to win the battle. Then, a demon attacked the village. Humbaba was powerful, too powerful. He nearly killed them. I watched from the shadows as they tried to kill him, and that was when I realized it. If they failed, we were all dead. All of the children would die, unless I helped them. Unless I protected them. I had to fight, to save them."

"For the first time in months I felt the Esper well up. And I let it. It was the first time the transformation had overwhelmed me since I had made contact with Valigarmanda, but I wasn't afraid, I welcomed it. I let go myself and gave in to the Esper. The bond, the power I felt…I had tapped into the Esper before, but this was different. I stayed transformed for longer than I had ever done before, but I was in complete control. The Esper and I worked together, we killed Humbaba. When the children came out after the battle, they were terrified to see me like that, they had never seen me transform before. But somehow, they knew who I was. I was so relieved to see them safe. That was when I knew. The reason I didn't want to leave, the reason I had felt accepted. The look in their eyes that they gave me, the reason I was able to seize control of my Esper to protect them. I understood what was happening to me."

A tear slid down Terra's cheek as another smile graced her smile.

"I loved them. I loved them like my own children, and they each saw me as their mother and loved me like one. I understood it all now. For the first time everything made sense, _I_ made sense. They knew what I was and they weren't afraid of me. But I also understood what was happening in the world around me. Humbaba was just one of thousands of demons and monsters in the world that Kefka had unleashed or created himself. And until he was defeated, the monsters would keep running wild, trying to hurt more people. As long as Kefka lived, the pain and suffering that the children had struggled through would endure and inflict everyone. How could I stand back and let that happen? How could I watch the world rot around me along with everything I cherished, and not fight to protect it. So I left. I rejoined the battle, to try and bring some semblance of order back to the world. And it worked. The world we had lost, we got it back. I got it back for them."

"Indeed. And now you must get it back a second time."

* * *

Terra felt her body begin to tingle, and opened her eyes. She lay back on the surface of the moon, the ground around her still smoking. She tried to move and cried out, collapsing onto her back.

"The healing you experienced was only within your mind. Your physical form is still in great pain," Golbez lectured from her side.

"No kidding," Terra muttered. Golbez stood up and lifted his head to look out over the lunar landscape.

"I understand now, the trials and struggles you have been forced to endure. But your journey is not yet over, in more ways than one. I have learned much from seeing your thoughts and memories. But you still have a critical lesson to learn yourself."

"What?"

"I know of the fate of your world. When Kefka was vanquished, the essence of magic vanished. What happened to you?"

"I lost my magic, and I nearly died. But my bond with the people of Mobliz, my love for them gave my human half the strength to survive as a normal human. I returned to Mobliz to continue to rebuild the village, to live a normal life at last."

"How peculiar…" Golbez mused, lowering his head.

"What is?" Terra asked. Her body feeling stronger, she put her hands down and pushed her torso up into a sitting position.

"You rejected your powers, you saw your Esper form as a curse, you claim they isolated you and made you feel unwelcome. And yet, here you are, carrying that burden again."

"Cosmos offered me the chance to regain my powers to fight Chaos. I would have been an idiot to refuse that sort of power, if it meant I could…" Terra trailed off, a stunned look on her face.

"You accept the powers you once rejected, only to reject them again," Golbez nodded. "As I said. Peculiar."

"I had no choice," Terra said. Golbez was silent, then lifted his hands to his head. Terra looked on as Golbez grasped the sides of his helmet, and slowly pulled. The metal slowly slid off his head, and Golbez blinked as he pulled it off. His eye caught Terra's gaze, and he turned to her. Golbez's mouth was set in a line, the faintest hints of wrinkles beginning to tug on the corners of his mouth and eyes. Long gray-white hair fell down his neck, the tips brushing against his shoulders. His eyes were a surprisingly vibrant shade of violet. Golbez held Terra's gaze for a moment, then looked down at the black horned helmet in his hands.

"When I took to Chaos' side, I choose to don this dark guise again. The same armor I had worn near twenty years ago when Zemus controlled me. I loathed it, and now still do. To wear this dark guise is to wrap myself in my own shame. But I knew that Cecil would still see me as a brother, and not a monster. I am indeed his brother, and his friend and ally, same as you. But for him to save his world, he must fight and defeat me in battle. I thought it easier for myself and for him, if when that time come he looked upon me as the villain who tried to end his life, rather than the brother who saved it."

"How are you his ally?" Terra asked.

"I have the ear of the goddess Cosmos. She has vowed to restore the Lunarians and me to life when the worlds are returned to their true state. All she asks in return is that I help her find a way to end this cycle of conflict and give Chaos his ultimate death."

"The cycle," Terra breathed. "You mean Shinryu." Golbez recoiled slightly, surprised, but nodded.

"Yes. If this war carries on too long, Shinryu will awaken and reset the balance. As a warrior on the side of darkness with a heart of light, I can stop this. I can speed events that before would take too long to complete. I can sabotage Chaos' plans, assist Cosmos' warriors along their paths. And thus far, it has worked. Terra, this cycle, if we work together, will be the last. Chaos will not revive, Shinryu will remain sleeping, and the eternal battle between harmony and discord will conclude. We cannot let this chance go wasted. That is why you must continue onward and defeat Kefka. Unlike your comrades in years past, if you decline now, there will be no second chances from me. The time is now. Learn my lesson and you will prevail, I promise you."

"What lesson?" Terra cried. "What are you trying to tell me?" Golbez lifted his helmet and slipped it back over his head.

"Absolutely nothing. I suspect as much, but you know the answers to this question better than I. Why would you embrace the Esper again after you worked so hard to be rid of it?"

"Because…I needed it," Terra protested, standing up shakily. "I needed that power, I needed that magic back."

"But you spent so long trying to suppress it," Golbez reminded. "I find this hypocrisy disturbing. You martyr yourself for carrying a burden you chose to carry after being rid of it, after years of wishing to be rid of it, and-"

"So I was _wrong!_" Terra shouted. Golbez crossed his arms. Terra's hands shot up to cover her mouth, her eyes wide.

"A normal life. That's what you said," Golbez said softly. "Is that really how it went?" Terra shook slightly as she lowered her hands. She had tried to deny it and make herself feel better, but it hadn't worked. She slowly shook her head and licked her lips. The next words from them came slowly.

"No," she whispered. "I was a normal person…but I didn't feel normal at all. I had less energy, I slept longer, I couldn't move as fast, I couldn't heal wounds or fight as easily. I felt like a stranger in my own body." Terra closed her eyes. "Just two days after when I returned to Mobliz, I tried to heal one of the children. I…I held my hands over the wound for near five seconds before I realized nothing was going to happen. Yes, the Esper and my magic were burdens. But they were burdens I had lived my entire life with. Without them…I felt so empty. Part of me was just gone. I never told them, I lied to myself, but…I didn't feel like myself, anymore. I was accepted at last, but it didn't feel like it was really me…I wanted that back…" Terra sucked in a shaky break. "I wanted to feel powerful again, I didn't want to feel weak and alien. I wanted to feel like myself and not like some fraction of who I used to be…"

"I took my powers back…because I wanted them back. Because as much as a monster as it is, the Esper is as much a part of me as the human."

Terra almost collapsed after her confession. It almost hurt now, to say the words aloud. But they were true. She had accepted Cosmos' offer to feel like her old self, to get back the Esper she had once hated so much. She had wanted to change a mistake she had made years ago. She had lost her powers, and let them go willingly. And discovered that for her, a normal life as a normal human was anything but. As much as she tried to deny it, she was an Esper _and_ a human. Not a human sharing a body with an Esper. Both at once. To forsaken one…

"Would just be to deny what I really am…" Terra whispered. "I'm not afraid of the Esper…I'm afraid of myself." There was no monster in her mind, clawing to get out. There was no Esper fighting her for dominance. There was no struggle for control. It was her mind and her power. The berserk beast that had slaughtered Humbaba that day years ago was no Esper. It was her that had killed Humbaba, not an Esper. She had reined her powers in to protect her children and her village, and they had obeyed. Obeyed her and her alone, her will and her heart. She had fought, and won, on her own.

"I did it once…" Terra realized, her heart swelling. "I can…no. I _will_ do it again! I'll figure it out somehow. I don't have my father to help me, but I don't need him! I can do on my own!"

Terra lifted her head, not entirely surprised to find Golbez was gone. In his place swirled a dark portal.

_"Can you really?"_

Golbez's voice boomed in her head, and Terra nodded.

"I will…I may not have my father's guidance…but Kefka doesn't have the Warring Triad anymore either." Terra smiled and stood up a bit straighter. "He isn't backing down. And neither will I."

* * *

"I will not."

"Come on, pick one."

"It doesn't matter which one I pick, either way you'll throw out some sort of spell, and knowing you they'll both explode or set something on fire."

"Maaaaaaybe."

Sephiroth let out an annoyed grunt and pointed. Kefka looked between his two clasped hands for a moment, and opened his right one. A small orb of blue energy flashed and floated up into the air, gleaming and exploding. Kefka opened his other hand, and three fireballs leapt out and slammed into the wall, leaving smoking black dots.

"Heeeey, you were right!" Kefka laughed. Sephiroth let out a breath and lifted a hand to his temple. At least when he had stayed at the Chaos Shrine there was intelligent conversation to be had. Passing the time with Kefka was a trial in patience to say the least.

Sephiroth turned to see a dark flash further down the catwalk. Mateus marched out of the portal, his eyes narrow.

"Hey Empy! Pick a hand!" Kefka offered, holding out his fists. Mateus glared at him.

"What is it?" Sephiroth asked.

"Two more Crystals have been seized," Mateus said lowly. "The Cloud of Darkness has been vanquished. The Onion Knight has escaped his prison and fled. We cannot locate him."

"Who else?" Kefka asked, all traces of joking gone.

"Jecht was defeated by Tidus, and his Crystal taken, but the boy was too sentimental and allowed him to live. It doesn't matter though, the damage is done."

"That is five of our number left, then," Sephiroth stated.

"Indeed. Garland and I have spoken to Chaos."

"You?" Kefka muttered. "You actually saw Chaos yourself for once?"

"Yes," Mateus nodded. "It ends now, you're both out of time. Sephiroth, can you control Cloud yet?"

"I'm almost ready, just a few more nights and I can-"

"Almost is not ready," Mateus interrupted.

"I only need a few more days," Sephiroth said. "I've been guiding him to a place of my choosing. I believe there, his mental defenses will be at their weakest, and I can overwhelm him. He'll be there within a few days and it will be done."

"Too late. Kefka, Terra. What's your status with her?"

"Blondie has been keeping her grounded," Kefka shrugged.

"Your Crystal, does it still hold sway over her powers?"

"As much sway as ever," Kefka said, snapping his fingers. The black and red Crystal appeared floating in the air in front of him.

"Then use that sway. By tomorrow, I want to return to hear that Cloud Strife is dead."

"But I'm not-" Sephiroth began to protest, raising his voice.

"You had your chance!" Mateus snapped. "And you failed. It's Kefka's turn now. Kefka, I am trusting you, I'm loathe to do it but I find myself too short of allies to care about trivialities. Take care of the situation."

"Aye aye, chief!" Kefka nodded, snapping a salute. Mateus vanished, and Sephiroth whirled around to glare at Kefka. Kefka dismissed the Crystal and held up his hands. "Sorry guy," he muttered. Sephiroth gritted his teeth.

"You will listen to him then?" he asked lowly.

"You heard him, direct order from Chaos," Kefka shrugged. "Hey, I'm not happy cutting this short either. But meh, gotta do what ya gotta do." Kefka turned and headed off deeper into the tower, muttering to himself under his breath. Sephiroth watched his go, silently seething at being trumped by the one being he couldn't afford to defy.

"I cannot allow this," he said to himself, watching Kefka's cloak vanish into a darkened corridor. "I won't."


	17. Revelations

**I so wanted to end the chapter with the second-last section, it would have been perfect. But the actual ending to the chapter, and the lead-in to the next chapter, is something I've had planned for a long time now, so I had to do it. Enjoy!**

Shards of Memory

Chapter 17

Revelations

_**"The struggle of humanity against power is the struggle of remembering against forgetting.**_**_" - _**Milan Kundara

* * *

Cloud was certain of very little, he'd soon too much in his life to peg down certainties with absolute confidence. But he was certain he knew a few things about Fate. He was fairly certain Fate was a sentient, intelligent force, there had been far too many coincidences in his travels that it was just chance. And if Fate was indeed sentient and intelligent, it either had a mean sense of humor, or it had no sense of fair play. Either way, Cloud was also certain that Fate was most definitely screwing with him. There was no other possible explanation for what had happened earlier that morning other than destiny playing a very sick joke on him.

"What about the stores, do you think they've anything we could use?"

"I doubt it," Cloud said. "The stores in your world seemed pretty much the same as mine, more less."

"Right," Terra nodded, looking around the village. "What did you say this place was called again?"

"…Nibelheim."

"Hm," Terra murmured, lowering her head and walking up to a well in the middle of the town square. "This could be helpful. Do you think there's still water down there?" Terra asked, leaning over slightly to look down the well. Cloud shrugged, not fully paying attention. His eyes kept darting around the buildings and streets surrounding them. He kept expecting something – some_one_ – to attack him from the shadows. Nibelheim had once been his home, then it had turned into the place his entire life became a walking nightmare. The flames of Sephiroth's rage still burned bright in his mind's eye. Even if his exact role in the chaos was something he'd mixed up, the night itself was something Cloud was sure he'd never forget.

"Well?" Cloud blinked rapidly and noticed Terra looking over her shoulder at him. Right.

"I don't know. You'd think pretty much all the water sources would have dried up since the cataclysm, but they haven't. So I don't know," he replied.

"Good point." Terra leaned back and rotated her shoulders. The battle against Golbez yesterday had taken its toll on her, she still felt sore and had a slight limp. Cloud had noticed it when she had returned after the battle. Terra had told him she had been ambushed by a Crystelle and fell the wrong way. Wasn't a complete lie, there _had_ been a Crystelle after all. Cloud had nodded and didn't say anything further. Terra knew he didn't believe her. He'd understand though, once she told him the truth.

Terra had resolved to see to that without a doubt. Cloud would know the truth of her and her powers, and soon. She had finally come to an understanding about herself at last. If Golbez had lingered, she would have thanked him for his literally painful but necessary lesson. There was a peace in Terra's mind she hadn't felt in years, maybe ever. She looked in the windows of abandoned homes and the water of stagnant rivers and saw herself anew. Terra knew outwardly nothing had changed, physically she looked the same as always. But she felt different. The Esper in her mind was still there, and Terra still felt the need to restrain the overwhelming power of her other self. What had changed was the understanding of that power.

The previous night, Terra had attempted to put her newfound revelation about herself into practice. She had called upon the Esper, and allowed her powers to well up. The transformation had begun, but Terra had held it back and focused on drawing on her power without transforming. Her body had become engulfed in an aura of magical energy, but it was different from the aura she was used to. Rather than a burning red and violet, the aura was a cool blue and purple. It didn't frighten her like before, and Terra had done what she supposed was practicing, repressing and summoning her powers and watching the aura of power around her ebb and flow. It had come with surprising ease.

_ "I've never had such freedom of control like this," _Terra thought. _"If I transformed fully…" _Terra was still afraid of the idea, fully transforming again. She remembered being coherent and in control while battling Humbaba years ago, but it had only been that single occasion. She may have had a long-needed epiphany about her powers but there was no way to tell how that would impact her control of her Esper side. Terra wasn't all that sure she wanted to push the envelope and find out. Then again, she'd have to find out sooner or later. Wouldn't it be better to try when she was alone and away from Cloud, rather than in the heat of battle when she might hurt him if she lost control?

"I'm gonna go look around," Cloud said, turning away. Terra turned her head as he began to walk away.

"Something wrong?" she asked.

"Nah…just wanna take a look around the town," Cloud shrugged. Terra watched him go without a word. Cloud waited for a moment as he walked away, expecting her to press the matter. He was relieved when she didn't. He had told Terra when they arrived that he recognized the town from his world, but didn't tell her Nibelheim was his hometown. That would have lead to too many questions Cloud didn't want to answer and too many memories he didn't want to dig up.

_"It may have been my birthplace once, but the only thing it has for me anymore is nightmares," _he thought, turning down an alley. He wanted to check the town for anything suspicious. Try as he might, he couldn't shake the feeling of paranoia. He supposed that was to be expected, given all that had happened here. Would anyone really blame him for keeping on his toes?

_"Hopefully she finishes looking around fast so we can move on," _Cloud's eyes narrowed slightly. _"This town does nothing but bring back bad memories."_

_

* * *

"My, but this place stirs up old memories."_

Sephiroth allowed himself a brief moment of nostalgia as he slid his finger along the spines of the old books and journals lining the shelves. Once upon a time, these books had awakened him to his true destiny and his true existence. Then he had been killed and found out the researchers writing in them were wrong in almost every aspect. Still, he gave them his silent thanks for leaving these books for him to find. He had been content, more or less, to act as Shinra's attack hound, until he realized he was meant for so much more than that. So much had changed so quickly for him down in this basement…

"So, you're sure we're good here?"

Sephiroth looked over his shoulder as Kefka flipped over the desk in the middle of the circular room, landing in the chair behind it and putting his feet up on the desk. The red and black Crystal in his hands pulsed slightly, electrifying the air as Kefka held it up to the light.

"Yes. The only path here is a staircase, hidden behind a secret door. If you'd prefer, I can destroy the door, leaving them no entry in the unlikely event they deduce we're here."

"Greaaaat, you do that," Kefka nodded, holding up his index finger and using his other hand to spin the Crystal around on its end. Sephiroth made a slight face and turned to walk down the bookcase-lined hall leading to Hojo's lab. Mateus' orders from the previous day still didn't sit well with him. All his work destroying Cloud's memories was about to be wasted. He had worked hard to manipulate Cloud's mind into one easy to shatter. Even with Terra's interference, if he could keep Cloud alive long enough until the two of them arrived at that place…

_"But he won't survive, not if Kefka is able to control Terra," _Sephiroth thought, turning to look back at the man in question. That was unlikely. In his time residing in Kefka's tower, he had seen another side to him, a more devious, calculating side hidden under the giggles and jokes. But regardless of if Kefka was a cunning psychopath or a cackling fool, either way he'd be unlikely to listen to him if he simply asked him to back off. Kefka was as intent on controlling Terra as he was intent on controlling Cloud. After weeks of anticipating a collision, the unstoppable force had met the immovable object at last. The outcome would not be pleasant for either side, but Sephiroth didn't care. His entire life he had been entangled in all manor of unsavory deeds and events. But always he emerged the victor, and this silent battle of wills with Kefka would be no different.

_"This conflict has been long brewing. Now I have to end it," _Sephiroth thought. As Mateus had described it, their numbers were too few now for Chaos to levy any serious punishment against him. There was that, and his final ace card – his manipulations of Cloud, which would reach fruition in only a couple of days. Hopefully, if he was called on his attempts to thwart Kefka, he would use that to extract leniency from Mateus or Garland, whichever of them he faced. Sephiroth would be defying orders and neither of them would be pleased. He didn't care much about that, either. Sephiroth had always done things his own way, and if those in power didn't like it he would either placate them or ignore them and move on. Such it would be now.

The question then became, how would he go about stopping Kefka? He could attack him, hypothetically. He was certainly strong enough to overpower him. Though, he couldn't kill him outright, and after a moment's thought Sephiroth decided he didn't particularly want to anyway. Kefka might still have his uses, at least until his plans were completed. Then again, attacking wouldn't be very subtle, they'd certainly be discovered, and if he were the aggressor then his ace card against Mateus and Garland might not be enough to ensure his own safety from Chaos. Then he had to interfere on the field, with Cloud and Terra.

_"And I can't do that here," _he thought, turning to the door leading to the stairs.

"I am going up," he called.

"Gotcha," Kefka replied, still spinning the Crystal on his fingertip. Sephiroth pushed open the door and marched down the hall leading to the stairs up. He couldn't possibly approach Cloud directly, and if he spoke to Terra Kefka would likely take notice. He had to be as discreet as possible. And for that, he'd need to wait for the opportunity to present itself. Sephiroth made an annoyed sound in the back of his throat. He hated not being in control of his own circumstances, but for now he had no choice. He'd have to wait for Kefka to make his move before he could make his own. Sephiroth's goal now was to find a place and sit and watch the proceedings.

And hope that when he was finished, the fallout from his actions would be manageable.

* * *

"It's just like I remember…" Cloud thought aloud, stopping at an intersection on the dirt road and looking down the streets. Inward, he wondered exactly how he felt, seeing the village like this. Nibelheim had once been his home, but it hadn't been his home longer than it had. His childhood memories hadn't been pleasant, no father, a mother constantly worrying for him and working at the shop to keep food on the table. Not to mention the strings of fights with the other kids in the village, all of which had it coming, at least the way Cloud remembered it. That was _before_ Sephiroth and Zack had come to the village, and Cloud's life as he knew it changed forever in a few fateful days.

"Bad memories don't begin to describe this place," Cloud decided, turning down a street and marching down the dirt, small clouds of dust kicking up in the wake of his steps. When he had returned to Nibelheim with Sephiroth and Zack, he hadn't made it in SOLDIER like he had boasted before leaving, and hid his face and his shame from his childhood companions. In retrospect, it was a silly gesture, Cloud would have bet none of them remembered him, save for Tifa. When he'd arrived in Midgar his life had picked up, such as it was. Shinra wasn't the best employer, but he got a paycheck, he got a home, even if it was just a bunk in a company barracks. And he stuck to his own moral code and ethics, which were a lot tighter and honorable than Shinra's.

_"And yet I was so worried over what a group of strangers would think of me…I spent way too much time in the past back then."_

"And now I'm heading back down again…great," Cloud muttered. Terra…there was a possibility forming in Cloud's head about her. He'd turned it over, and it made sense. It was one of the few explanations that did, though it still made a lot more sense than it should have. Why she seemed familiar, what she was keeping from him, the mysterious fading memories that were coming back to him…

_"Did I…did I know her?"_ Cloud lifted his head, one of the two moons vaguely visible in the cloudless blue sky. It was all he could some up with. Somehow, he had known Terra before coming here, but then…Cloud clenched his eyes shut. That was the glaring hole in his theory: she came from another world. How could he remember her when they came from different planets? Cloud didn't have an explanation for that. Then again, he also didn't have an explanation for Terra inexplicably appearing in his dreams and his memories as if she'd always been there.

_"Maybe I'm just going insane," _Cloud thought. He lowered his head and lifted a hand to rub his forehead, his eyes closing. _"After all I've been through it would be understandable…" _Cloud opened his eyes and looked around where he had stopped, and his breath caught. He stood silently for a moment, then moved towards the door of the house. He lifted a hand and hesitated for only a moment before pushing the door open. The wood creaked as it swung open with ease, thudding slightly against the wall. Cloud licked the inside of his mouth and stared into the darkened single-story home.

"Mom…" he whispered, lifting a boot to take a step inside, "I'm home."

* * *

_"He wastes time dallying, reminiscing about the past…you never change, Cloud," _Sephiroth thought dryly, watching Cloud from the shadowed window of one of the other homes. Cloud's sentiments aside there was nothing of interest in this village, Sephiroth and Kefka would not have even come here if they hadn't. But Cloud delayed and explored his hometown, and a brush of Sephiroth's powers was enough to reveal the emotions and thoughts swirling through his head. If Sephiroth's powers were stronger or Cloud's defenses weaker, he'd make Cloud slap himself and tell him he was just wasting time here. Better yet, go down to the street and do it himself. Sephiroth was decidedly low on patience today.

Sephiroth reached out to Terra's essence, in another part of the village. She was still in human form, her thoughts still coherent. Sephiroth was tempted to take a closer look and examine them, but decided not, she had shown herself aware of his abilities before and didn't want to give himself away. The distance look at her mind was enough information though. She was still herself. Kefka was taking his time. Sephiroth let out a small grunt and turned back to the open doorway on the street below. Cloud's silhouette was no longer visible though, he'd apparently gone inside.

"Were I more impulsive, I'd just go down and kill them both now," he said. Sephiroth cooled the urge, though. He had learned to be patient in his life. Great things would come to he who waits, and he'd proven that firsthand on more than one occasion.

* * *

Kefka hummed slightly to himself, the Crystal on his fingertip still spinning. His eyes were closed and his feet still propped up on the deck, his foot tapping in time with some tune only he could hear. Suddenly, Kefka's eyes popped open, and his feet stilled. He turned his head to his hand, the Crystal on his finger stopping its spin and standing upright. Kefka drew back his hand and cracked his knuckles, the Crystal hovering in front of him.

"Alright big guy," he whispered, extending a hand under the Crystal. "Showtime."

The Crystal dropped into Kefka's palm, and pulsed, a deep red aura appearing over it.

* * *

"There's so much here I don't recognize," Terra mused, examining a shelf of small red vials in a shop. She reached out and picked one up between her fingers, examining the tiny label on it. "Hyper?" she made a note to ask Cloud what they were for, the vials were foreign to her. Terra noticed a shelf of similar blue vials lower on the wall, and lifted her arm to put the Hyper vial back.

A shockwave rumbled through her, and Terra let out a sharp gasp. She lost her balance and pitched forward, the hand with the Hyper slamming against the wall. The vial shattered under the force, viscous red liquid flowing down the wall. Terra winced and pulled back her hand, holding it up. No, that was her blood staining the wood frame of the shelf, the liquid leaking from the broken vial was clear and light blue. She winced again and flung her hand out, red and blue fluid dripping to the ground with the shards of the vial as she looked for something to wipe her hand off.

A second rumble, and Terra recoiled as if stuck. She slipped on the floor and fell back. Her heart thudded in her ears, and Terra's back arced off the floor. She fell back panting for breath as she realized what was happening.

"I…no…" she gasped, lifting a hand to grab the edge of a shelf and pull herself up. The hand that came into view had an undulating blood red aura covering it. "I won't…" Terra grunted, grabbing at the shelf. She gripped, her nails digging into the wood. She pulled, and the shelf cracked under the force. Terra clenched her eyes shut and let out a cry of pain as the red aura spread over her body. In her mind she fought against the uprising, to control herself and stop the change. It wasn't working, something was overpowering her and forcing her powers to overwhelm her.

_"Kefka…he's here…C…Cloud!"_

Terra's final coherent thought was punctuated by a shriek that reverberated off the walls of the small building.

* * *

_"This place…my home…" _Cloud thought, reaching to the wall. He found the familiar knob and twisted it, wondering if the electricity still worked in this world. Unsurprisingly, it didn't, and the room stayed cloaked in shadow. Cloud slowly walked inside, his boots echoing dully on the walls. He'd long since gotten over the surprise and shock of seeing normally populated areas as dead and silent. Nibelheim was worse, or better, depending on how one interpreted it – Cloud had already seen the village destroyed once, and rebuilt with hired actors. The Nibelheim Cloud knew had been destroyed by Sephiroth, and in its place Shinra had raised a dead husk from the ashes.

This place was just the husk of a husk, now. What was left over from the destruction of a place that had already been destroyed.

"No…" Cloud said aloud, "This isn't my home." It wasn't his home any more than the store his mother had worked at was the same store in the village now, any more than any of the buildings were what he remembered from his childhood. Still, he couldn't help the wave of nostalgia that swept through him as he surveyed the house. Shinra had been meticulous in their duplication of the original Nibelheim, the stove and sink were in the same places, the beds against the same wall, the same number of stairs leading up to the eating table. But it was just for show. The rug didn't have the burn mark Cloud had made when he was six and accidentally knocked over a candle during a blackout. The beds didn't have the same hand-stitched sheets that had been made by his father's mother. Cloud reached a hand over the bed and shook the table between the two beds slightly. It didn't have the slight wobble he remembered either.

_"Cosmos said if we retrieve the Crystals, we could restore our worlds…" _Cloud thought, walking around the beds to the kitchen area, the distinction made only by a chance from brown wood to black stone on the floor. Without thinking, Cloud reached out and opened the door of the fridge. A wave of foul odor rolled out, and Cloud let out a grunt and shut the door. Of course, the power would have been out since the cataclysm, the food had spoiled long ago. And all the scent of that spoiled food had been contained in the fridge…

"Real smart," Cloud decided, stepping back and wrinkling his nose. After a moment more of revulsion, he thought back to what had gone through his mind before opening the fridge. Restoring their worlds with the power of the Crystals…Cosmos had explained that all life in the worlds was born from a Crystal, and the light of life came and went from the crystal in an endless cycle. When the worlds were remade and the light from the Crystal restored into the inhabitants of the world…what would happen to those already dead? Would Nibelheim maybe somehow be restored?

"Would I really want that?" Cloud asked, turning around. What if Nibelheim's original inhabitants came back to life, what if he could undo the damage Sephiroth had done? Would Tifa want to come back to their old hometown? They had a good life in Edge, but he knew the scars from Nibelheim ran as deep in her as they did in him, the physical and the psychological. He didn't know exactly how she felt about the chaos of that fatal night. Cloud figured she felt it harder than he did, she'd lived there longer and her memories were happier. Come to think of it, they had never much discussed that dark day. He wondered if she thought about it often…

"Nothing to do for it now," Cloud decided, moving to the door. He reached back and pulled the door closed behind him, noting as he did so it was a meaningless gesture. Outside again, Cloud let out a breath and turned to head down the street. He wanted to find Terra and leave now. Coming here did nothing but remind him he had no business doing so.

In a house above, Sephiroth watched silently from the shadows. Movement from the side caught his eyes, and he turned. Slinking along the ground, silently creeping along the street, was a creature. Long, wild violet hair ran along its back. Long, supple limps, glowing blue eyes, yellow claws on the tips of its fingers and toes. Sephiroth had never seen it before, but he knew without question what it was. This, then, was the long-discussed Esper side of Terra Branford. Seeing her transformed, Sephiroth had an understanding of Kefka's fascination with her. The creature radiated power and beauty, from the glowing blue eyes set in a glare to the dainty claws gripping at empty air.

Cloud stopped and knelt down to examine an abandoned cart in the road. Sephiroth watched, almost annoyed as the Esper slinked towards him. He didn't know the extent of Kefka's influence. Kefka may have been directly in control of the creature, or perhaps it was as wild and uncontrollable as had been claimed. Either way, he had to alert Cloud to its presence before it killed him. Sephiroth had no ideas on how to force Terra to revert the change, but first things came first. Alerting Cloud wouldn't take much, anything to make him turn. Sephiroth turned and reached out, picking up a small blue vase from the table by the bed behind him, and set it on the sill of the window. That done, he stepped back out of sight and conjured the Masamune. He held out his hand, moving the tip of the sword beside the vase. A simple push, it would shatter, and draw Cloud's attention behind him to the creature now passing by Sephiroth's position.

Several things happened within the space of only a few seconds. Sephiroth moved to push the vase off. The light glinted off Masamune's tip, and Terra whirled her head around and let out a very loud, very cat-like yowl. Sephiroth hesitated, and Cloud spun around at the noise. His eyes fell on the transformed Terra glaring up, and turned to where she was facing. Sephiroth turned as well, and he let out an audible curse as he and Cloud locked eyes. Cloud's eyes narrowed in an instant.

So much for being discreet.

"Sephiroth!" Cloud roared, reaching to his back. Sephiroth gritted his teeth and closed his eyes, vanishing in a dark flash. Cloud swung his hand forward, the Buster Sword in his grasp. Terra turned her head back down to him, and leapt. The leap caught Cloud by surprise, knocking him back along the street. Yellow claws grabbed at his biceps, Terra's knees landing aside his hips. Cloud lifted a leg, putting a knee up against her stomach, and kicked, knocking her over his head through the air. Cloud rolled onto his stomach and pushed himself up as Terra hit the ground, rolled into a kneeling position and turned with the momentum, an outstretched leg digging up a cloud of dust as she spun.

"What the hell?" Cloud muttered, confused. This was new. Terra let out a low growl as she circled him carefully, staying low to the ground. Cloud was still trying to figure out what the being was. It certainly wasn't a Crystelle, and it didn't look any monster he had seen before. A chilling thought crossed Cloud's mind.

_"Terra…" _he thought, watching the creature. If it hadn't let out the cry, he never would have heard it. If it had gone after Terra…Cloud tightened his grip as the creature jumped again, swinging the Buster Sword. The flat of the blade connected with the hip, sending Terra rolling along the ground until she hit the side of a house. It put a hand out and climbed to its feet with a low growl. Cloud took a step back as the creature turned back to him. With another shriek, it lashed out its hand. A large fireball launched through the air. Cloud swung, deflecting the blast, when a second fireball tore through the smoke left in the wake of the first. Cloud screamed as he was sent flying backwards, hitting on his back and flipping back to lie on his stomach. He lifted his head to see five orbs of energy flying forward. They wove through the air and impacted the ground around him, exploding and knocking him through the air again. Cloud hit heavily on his back, the Buster Sword falling from his gasp and spinning down the street. His head was spinning, in more than one way. That magic…

A claw grabbed Cloud's collar, and he found himself hauled up through the air. Terra growled and spun, swinging Cloud and slamming him into a wall. Cloud let out a scream, and Terra turned, swinging him back again. The back of Cloud's head hit hard, and he tasted blood. Terra's claw held Cloud up against the wall, eyes flashing. Cloud lifted his head, woozy, and blinked as his eyes connected with the Esper's. No…it couldn't be…Cloud's head snapped back as Terra's free hand clasped around his neck. His feet kicked against the wall as she held him up.

"T…Terra?" he choked out. The creature inhaled, and the hand on Cloud's neck loosened slightly. He licked his lips. "Terra…that's you…somehow," he whispered, reaching a hand up to the arm holding him. His fingers touched the arm, and the Esper lifted its head and shrieked, hauling Cloud forward and slamming him hard against the wall. Cloud gasped for breath, his hands beating on the arm holding him. Terra's eyes narrowed to slits, and she brought back her free hand, slashing at Cloud's face. Cloud cried out as four slashes appeared on his cheek, blood running down his face. Terra raised her hand to slash again, and Cloud's hand shot up, catching the blow. Terra's growls escalated, fingers intertwining as she squeezed Cloud's hand. Cloud let out a scream as he felt the tips of the claw dig into the flesh on the back of his head, drawing blood.

"Terra…" he wheezed. "Don't…" The Esper snarled and pushed, driving Cloud's hand back against the wall. Lights went off in Cloud's eyes, breathing becoming harder as the claw around his neck got tighter. The four gashes on Cloud's face were dripping blood down his cheek. One long trail lead down from the first gash, running over the lower three to the bottom of Cloud's face, then down to collect on his chin. A single ruby-red drop beaded, and fell down to splash on the glowing pink skin of Terra's wrist.

Fierce blue eyes softened, and the hand holding Cloud's loosened, bloodstained claws lifting from the wounds in the back of his hand. The Esper's breathing became more labored, and the hand on Cloud's neck loosened again. Cloud watched as Terra tilted her head back and let out a screech. The hand tightened again, and Cloud was flung away into the street. He lifted his head and watched as the beast yowled, and swung a claw, slashing a gouge in the brick wall. The other claw came up and slashed. Again, and again, and again. Red and brown stone flew through the air with the sounds of Terra's shrieks, until the brick had almost been carved through. With a final roar, Terra drew her hands back and slammed her fists into the wall. The wall collapsed in front of her, brick and wood falling to the ground. Cloud lifted a hand to his eyes to shield them from the cloud of dust the washed out from the site. The dust subsided, and Cloud lowered the hand.

Terra lay on her knees, human again. Her arms hung limp at her sides, her head down. Cloud got up and stepped forwards her. She wasn't moving, save for her chest as she breathed. As he got closer, he heard sobs. The bright green hair obscuring Terra's face was hiding the river of tears streaming down her cheeks. Beneath the hair, Terra stared blankly at the rubble in front of her, her blue eyes wide. Cloud stopped and watched, dumbstruck, before holding out a hand.

"Terra," he said softly. Terra's head jerked up, and she fell back on her rear, crawling backwards away from him, her eyes locked on Cloud's hand.

"No…no no no," she whimpered, shaking her head. "You can't, get away, now. I can't, I can't, I can't, can't can't can't can't…" Terra clenched her eyes shut and turned around, sprinting away with a cry.

"Terra!" Cloud called, running after her. Terra kept running, keeping her eyes shut. She didn't have a destination. She just ran, from Cloud, from the evidence of the destruction she had just caused.

"Not again, no no, not this time, I won't," Terra blubbered, tears flying through the air in her wake. She stopped and clutched at her head, gritting her teeth. "I won't kill you!" she screamed. A hand came to her shoulder, and spun her around. Terra only had time to let out a gasp as Cloud pulled her into a tight embrace. She struggled to pull away, but the arms circling her weren't letting go. Cloud bit his lip as he held her, waiting for her to stop. His hands clenched against the fabric of her dress. Cloud had no idea what had just happened to her. But she needed someone, and he was the only one there. If he let her keep running, if he let her go alone after that, he'd never forgive himself.

"Let go of me!" Terra screamed, beating her hands on his back. "I'll kill you! I'll kill you! I'll-" Cloud pulled back and grabbed Terra's shoulders, holding her out. The two locked eyes, and Terra suddenly stilled, her sobs and breathing ceasing. Cloud thought for a moment about what to say to her. She was hysterical, he had to calm her down, but nothing was coming to mind. Cloud swallowed and opened his mouth, not even realizing what he was saying before he said.

"Terra…" Cloud whispered, "I'm fine."

Terra held his gaze for a full second, before tears welled up again. She collapsed against Cloud's chest, wailing. Cloud put his arms around her again, closing his eyes. Tears dripped down Terra's face onto Cloud's shoulder, the dark purple fabric turning darker under the moisture. The two fell to their knees in the street, Terra burying her head in Cloud's shoulder.

"It's okay," Cloud whispered, bringing a hand to the back of her neck. "I'm okay, it's okay. You didn't…you didn't…I'll be fine." That was all that he could think of, reassure her that he was alive, she hadn't hurt him badly. Terra's only replies to the soft reassurances were the slowing of her sobs. Cloud wasn't sure how long he lay in the street holding her, but after what seemed like hours, the crying stopped. Terra lay silent in his arms, her breathing shaky. Cloud lowered the hand on her neck as she lifted her head, looking at his face. A hand came up to gingerly touch the warm blood now smeared across Cloud's face.

"You're…you're hurt," she whispered. She had done that. She'd raised her claw and slashed Cloud across his face. And she would have done a lot more, if she hadn't stopped herself. She would have killed him.

"I told you, I'll be fine," Cloud said. "It's okay. I don't care. I'm just glad you're…back…" Terra hiccuped, and Cloud thought for a moment she might start crying again. Instead, she sucked in a deep breath, and lowered her head.

"I guess…I've got some explaining to do."

"That might be nice."

* * *

"Dammit," Sephiroth muttered for the eighth time since returning to the tower. He was pacing back and forth on a catwalk, awaiting Kefka's return. Both Cloud and Terra had seen him, his attempts to be discreet in his interference had failed. Did she kill him? Did he kill her? He had no way of knowing. He also didn't know if Kefka now knew he had been there. He hadn't returned yet either.

There was a dark flash on the glass of the Esper capsule to Sephiroth's left, and he took a sharp breath. Best to play innocent, if Kefka didn't know he wouldn't reveal himself.

"So," Sephiroth asked evenly, "how did it go?" There was no response, and he frowned and began to turn. "Kef-"

A burst of blue energy exploded in Sephiroth's face as he turned around. Caught off-guard, he flew backwards, slamming into a wall and falling into a kneeling position. Sephiroth looked up, livid. On the other end of the catwalk, Kefka stood. His eyes was bulging, his breathing deep and labored. Magical energy crackling along his arms as he stared at Sephiroth, his mouth set in a teeth-flashing grin.

"How about you tell me…_Sephy,_" Kefka muttered, the last word an almost inaudible growl. Sephiroth climbed to his feet and narrowed his eyes.

"So, I take it you failed to kill him. Pathetic," he said.

"I failed because of _you,_" Kefka snarled, clenching a hand. "You…I _had_ him! You fucked it up! Care to explain?"

"I'm protecting my investment," Sephiroth said. "Did you really think I'd just lie down and let you kill Cloud before my eyes?"

"I think you're an idiot if you thought I'd let you stop me," Kefka shot back. "You've got balls to come back here after that little stunt."

"Please. Am I supposed to be intimidated by that?" Sephiroth sneered. "You're nothing compared to me, which is why you failed. While you busy yourself cackling and playing around, I work to a real goal. Excuse me for not letting a cackling sociopath ruin my plans."

"Oh yeah, great plans there, HA! Weeks now and he still isn't yours. He's just a normal guy and for all your power you can't control him. No wonder he's managed to kill you so many times."

"You're on dangerous ground, Kefka," Sephiroth muttered, the Masamune appearing in his grasp. "This is no longer one of your games. You had a chance, so did I. I took mine. Too bad for you."

"Too bad for me?" Kefka laughed. "Oh no, Sephy…too bad for you." Kefka flung his hand through the air, fireballs erupting from the air and whirling forward. Sephiroth swung the Masamune, white ribbons of energy slicing the air in its wake. "You're useless, you haven't done a damn thing this entire time," Kefka snapped. "I'll save Chaos the trouble of killing you for that trick."

"As if you _could_ kill me," Sephiroth replied. "You're lucky to still be alive at all, I've had to put up with your endless antics for so long. My destruction of Cloud's mind may have been done by now, if I didn't have to endure your prattle every minute of the day, beating into my head."

"Then let me put you out of your misery," Kefka said. "Unless you wanna run, that is." Sephiroth sneered again.

"You're in over your head…but, if you're so intent on death…" Sephiroth brought the Masamune up over his shoulder, clutching the blade with both hands. "Wretched clown…it's time someone silenced your infernal laughter." Kefka smirked and let out a dark chuckle. He raised his arms up, swirls of magic flowing over his hands.

"Bring it Sephy."


	18. Bitter Rivals: Sephiroth vs Kefka

Shards of Memory

**I've been looking forward to writing this chapter and the various bits of plot that make it up, enjoy! I particularly want to know what you guys think of the ending. ;).**

Chapter 18

Bitter Rivals – Sephiroth vs. Kefka

**_"To mislead a rival, deception is permissible; one may use all means against his enemies" - _**Cardinal Richelieu, translated from French

* * *

Kefka lunged forward, firing a blast of blue magic from his palm. Sephiroth leapt up and to the left, swinging his sword and firing three waves of white energy from the blade. Kefka lifted his other hand and fired a second blast, white and blue energy exploding on contact. Through the smoke came flashed three red fireballs. Sephiroth swung again, ribbons of energy deflecting the attack in the Masamune's wake. He landed and spun in a circle, several orbs of dark energy appearing around him. The smoke cleared, and Sephiroth flung out his hand, the orbs flying forward. Kefka grinned and leapt into the air, diving and weaving through the air. The orbs of darkness flew past him one by one, dispersing on impact with the walls and ceiling.

"Come on Sephy," Kefka laughed, flinging out a fireball during a flip. "You got better aim than that!" Sephiroth let out a slight growl and leapt forward. Kefka grinned and flew up into the higher tiers of the tower, laughter echoing off the walls. Sephiroth landed and looked up at the red and yellow dot hovering overhead.

"Ignorant fool," Sephiroth muttered, closing his eyes. A bright violet aura appeared over his skin, and the back of Sephiroth's coat ruffled. The sound of ripping clothing and leather filled the air as a large feathered black wing burst out of Sephiroth's coat over his right shoulder. A few loose black feathers fluttered to the floor around his feet, and he opened his eyes and looked up. "It's time." Sephiroth kneeled slightly, then flapped his wing and leapt into the air, flying up into the tower.

Above, Kefka flung out his hand, a storm of red fireballs erupting from his palm. Sephiroth swung Masamune, waves of energy slicing upwards into the onslaught. The fireballs exploded and dispersed on impact, and Sephiroth emerged from the smoke, swinging again. Kefka flew left, the energy waves slicing apart a pipe behind where he had been standing. A large shard of ice curved around the corner, rebounding off the walls. Sephiroth knocked it aside with a slash and flapped his wing again, giving chase.

"Now this is more like it," Kefka laughed, floating backwards around a pillar, flinging out fireballs and shards of ice that curved and bounced around and off the walls. "I always knew you could be fun Sephy!" Kefka turned and let out a sharp cry of surprise, dropping down as three orbs of dark energy nearly slammed into him. He looked at the orbs dispersing on the wall, and smirked. "Come on, you can do better than that!" he goaded, taking off again. Elsewhere, Sephiroth sliced the Masamune to deflect a bouncing shard of ice, his free hand waving through the air to conjure more dark balls and send them flying out among the factory-like tower.

"Never gonna win that way!" Kefka said, jumping up to avoid an orb and firing out another fireball to zig-zag through the air. He turned and flew backwards as two more orbs came from around a corner. Kefka held out a hand and fired a blast of lightning, the two orbs vanishing as the bolt hit them. He cackled again as he rounded a corner, cracking his knuckles. "I'm just getting warmed u-" Kefka cut himself off with a gasp as several orbs suddenly swung down from a ceiling passage only a few feet ahead. Kefka flew down another side-passage to avoid them, watching them fly past. "It'll take more than that to surprise me!" he snarled, turning. From the shadows of the corridor ahead, Sephiroth flew, Masamune drawn back over his shoulder.

Sephiroth swung as Kefka tried to dodge to the side, the tip of the katana slicing upwards. Kefka let out a shriek, and Sephiroth spun, bringing up his hand to slam a larger orb of dark energy into Kefka's chest. With a blast of black magic, Kefka slammed backwards into a piping fixture, then fell onto a thin steel platform and crumpled down. Slightly above him, Sephiroth slowly descended onto a larger pipe running along a wall, his wing closing. Below, Kefka let out a low groan, and he put a hand on the ground, pushing himself into a kneeling position. Pushing up again, Kefka stood up, blinking twice. He made a face, and brought a hand up to his chest. Kefka lowered his head and brought back his hand. The tips of his glove were stained red. On Kefka's chest, on the right side, was a small slice from where the tip of the Masamune had grazed him, purple fabric torn and a thin cut was visible on bare skin. Kefka slowly raised his head, a sneer fixed on his face as the hand curled its fingers.

"I h…ha...hhhhhhh_hate_ you," he ground out, his eyes widening. Sparks flashed along Kefka's arm, and he raised it up to point at Sephiroth. "I…HATE YOOOOOOOOOOOOOU!" As the low growl grew into a roar, light flashed from Kefka's palm, a flurry of fireballs racing through the air. Sephiroth leapt up and flew up higher, and the fireballs turned to follow. Kefka looked up and snapped up his hand, a shockwave emanating from it. Around him, pipes suddenly buckled and snapped, steam and bright red smoke blasting out. Like a ripple the chaos spread up higher. Gears cracked and flew off their bearings, conveyor belts began to spin faster. A loose crane arm swung through the air, the hook flying forward as it hit the end of the track and slamming into a wall, making a sizable dent in a piece of steel plate.

In the higher tiers of the tower, Sephiroth's head whipped around twice, registering the sudden change in the tower's normally silent machinery. He looked down and swung, energy waves and orbs of darkness flying out of the Masamune to intercept the hail of fire coming up the shaft. Several fireballs exploded in the air or changed course, dodging the counterattacks and heading down air vents and side passages. In their wake came their master. With a snarl, Kefka whipped out his hand to large shard of ice, and with the same motion brought the hand back again to send out a trio of blue orbs of magic. Sephiroth let out a small growl and dove down, slicing through the block of ice and avoiding the orbs of magic as they exploded in the air. Masamune slashed through the air, and Kefka raised his arms, projecting a barrier. The two clashed in the air, sparks flying from the point where Masamune's curve struggled against Kefka's barrier.

"So, you _can_ take things seriously," Sephiroth hissed, narrowing his eyes.

"You ain't seen nothing yet, _Sephy!_" Kefka snapped back. He pushed off and flew backwards through the air, Masamune narrowly missing cutting him again. Sephiroth spun and swung again, sending another series of waves through the air. Kefka turned around a large steel pillar and vanished from sight. Sephiroth looked to the side and grimaced as a pair of fireballs rushed out of the end of a pipe and flew past him so close he could feel the heat on his face. There was a flash, and Sephiroth turned his head the other way to see a large pipe running up the wall crack and exploded, red smoke billowing out into the air. The sound of laughter reached his ears, and Sephiroth swung his sword out towards the sound, white bands of energy cleaving through the smoke to reveal a blank wall.

"Wrong way!" Kefka cackled, emerging from the smoke behind Sephiroth with his arm held back. Sephiroth began to turn as a large ball of blue magic exploded against his back, pitching him forward. He flipped headfirst through the air, righting himself and looking up to see Kefka's legs flit down a passage. With a flap of his wing Sephiroth flew up and followed, his right hand manifesting a ball of darkness and throwing it ahead. The orb split apart into several and whirled through the air. Kefka turned as he flew and lifted his hands. Blasts of lightning shot out of Kefka's palms, destroying the dark orbs and exploding in the air. The two flew through the tower's passages, explosions following their wake. Fire, ice and lightning blasts burst out of Kefka's hands and were deflected by orbs of dark energy or sword slashes from Sephiroth.

Kefka brought his hands together and fired a larger bolt at Sephiroth. With a small grunt, Sephiroth surged forward, the bolt narrowly sliding past his left shoulder. He slashed, Kefka flipping backwards and the Masamune sliding under Kefka's head. The attack left behind ribbons of energy that sliced the air around Kefka, and he let out a howl as bits of his robe tore under the assault. Sephiroth sliced again, sending a crescent-shaped wave into Kefka's chest that slammed him face-first into a wall. With a snarl, Kefka pulled his head back to glare at Sephiroth.

"Cease this now, Kefka," Sephiroth said, stopping in the air. "You're slightly more useful to me alive than dead."

"Sorry, can't say the same for you!" Kefka said, spinning around. Two rings of red fireballs appeared circling him. Kefka stopped spinning and flung out a hand, the rings circling him and firing forward, twin chains of flame. Sephiroth swung his sword, ribbons of light whistling through the air and dispersing many of the fireballs. However, the attacks were ultimately too swift, and several impacted on Sephiroth's chest. Sephiroth was driven backwards, slamming into a trio of pipes spanning the gap. The bolts holding the pipes together creaked under the impact, and the pipes broke apart. Sephiroth regained his balance with a flap of his wing, righting himself in the air as the pieces of dented metal fell downward. The echo of laugher bounced off the walls. Kefka was nowhere in sight.

Sephiroth narrowed his eyes and held up his hand, tendrils of black energy snaking around his arm. The flow collected in his palm and formed a glowing black and purple orb of energy. With a flash, small meteors swarmed out from the orb, flying down pipe openings, air vents and side passages. Deeper into the tower, Kefka paused in mid-flight as the meteors rushed out of a grating ahead and turned in the air. Behind him, a second swarm rushed up. With an anguished cry, Kefka ducked his head and the meteors made impact, bombarding him from all sides. Through the smoke Masamune whistled, cutting a gash down Kefka's back. The insane mage fell down onto a catwalk, lifting his head before he had even stopped moving.

Sephiroth descended, Masamune held up. The katana cleaved the air, leaving a ribbon of violet light behind it. Again and again Sephiroth sliced, Kefka narrowly ducked, dodging and leaping back between blows. Sephiroth spun for a final blow, and Kefka snapped out his hand, an orb of golden light in his palm. A beam of yellow energy shot out, shooting through Sephiroth's chest and exploding against the ceiling above him. Sephiroth was thrown back, hitting the ground heavily, and Kefka leapt up towards him. With a slight growl, Sephiroth back-flipped off the ground and landed on his feet as Kefka dove down, another ball of shining yellow energy in his hand. Sephiroth held back his right hand, an orb of darkness manifesting, and leapt forward, thrusting out his hand. Kefka let out a snarl and followed suit.

The two magical attacks collided violently, sending a shockwave through the air. The tower shook with the force, metal plating denting and falling loose, loose bolts on machinery falling out and a length of pipe separating from its bindings and falling down a shaft. Sephiroth's hair fluttered behind him as Kefka's cloak was blown out behind him. Wild and calm green eyes locked, and with a simultaneous cry from both of them, the two combatants pushed back. Sephiroth landed on the floor, digging his heels into the steel to slow down, black feathers falling loose from his wing. Kefka flipped through the air and landed on his feet. With a sneer he crouched down and snapped out his hand, another orb of golden energy forming in his palm. Sephiroth leered and drew the Masamune over his shoulder, the blade glowing a deep purple, before the two combatants leapt forward.

"That's enough!"

A whirlwind manifested between them, stopping their charges and pushing them back. With a flash, Mateus appeared in the whirlwind and flung out his hands, dispersing it. The emperor's staff spinning in the air over his head slowed and dropped into his grasp. Mateus looked between the two men on either side of him, glaring slightly.

"I am told by Golbez that Kefka's manipulations of Terra failed to destroy Cloud, and when I come here seeking an answer I find you two attempting to kill each other. I do not believe an explanation would be too much to ask, so which of you would care to offer me one?" Mateus waited. Sephiroth said nothing as he stood upright, his single wing vanishing in a flash of dark light and black feathers. Opposite him, Kefka too, was silent, and focused on fingering one of a handful of wounds on his body. "Well?" Mateus prompted.

"He started it," Kefka muttered, shooting Sephiroth a sneer. Sephiroth returned the gesture.

"You lying wretch. As I recall, your greeting to me upon your return was an attack."

"And you had it coming after that stunt you pulled!"

"Silence, both of you," Mateus ordered. "Sephiroth. Explain what Kefka means by that last remark." Sephiroth straightened up and collected himself.

"Kefka made Terra transform and attack Cloud. I…intervened."

"You stopped her?" Mateus asked.

"Merely alerted him to her presence before she could strike. There is still the possibility that she would have failed even if I hadn't."

"And the much greater possibility that she would have succeeded," Mateus said, lifting a hand to his temple. "Garland has already departed to inform Chaos of this failure. And though I do not yet know his response I can assure you he won't be pleased. The god of discord is already tiring of your antics, the both of you. I trust you have a way to make up for your treachery, Sephiroth?"

"Indeed," Sephiroth nodded. "As I said before, I have been guiding Cloud to a location where his mental defenses will be easy to break. Then I can assert full control over him, as we've agreed all along."

"How long before he arrives at this location?"

"Varying, depending on how swiftly he and Terra travel, but no more than a day or two. If I'm fortunate they may arrive as early as tomorrow."

"I have your word?"

"Of course."

"That won't be enough to satisfy Chaos, he will expect results and you will deliver them," Mateus ordered. "I loathe to be in either of your shoes, to explain yet another failure to him."

"Noooo problem!" Kefka laughed, slapping a hand on Sephiroth's shoulder. Sephiroth immediately pulled away. "I'll be here to help Sephy with…whatever he needs to do!"

"See that you do so," Mateus nodded. With another flash, the Emperor vanished. Sephiroth turned to glare at Kefka.

"Soooooooo," Kefka drawled, "wanna pick up where we left off?" he asked. Sephiroth sneered and turned, walking away.

"I must rest now, and conserve my strength for Cloud," he replied. Kefka made a face at Sephiroth's back.

"…fine!" he snapped after a moment. "I was gonna win anyway!"

* * *

Terra hadn't been quite sure where to start. There was a lot to tell – her true powers, why she was losing control, her past, her connection to Kefka. In the end, Terra had simply said it outright:

"I'm an Esper."

What had followed had been one of the longest periods of Terra's life as she described virtually everything she could remember. She was born in the Esper realm to a human mother and an Esper father, she was kidnapped by the Empire and used as a Magitek experiment until Valigarmanda freed her mind. She spent a full year searching for answers to who and what she really was, and by the time the mad god's tower collapsed, the answers she had found would haunt her more than they put her at ease.

Cloud had been silent during her story, sitting unmoving on the edge of one of the two beds in the home, sometimes watching her, sometimes not. Terra had changed position, laying on the other bed, standing, pacing. She had been restless for some time now and the chance to reveal exactly why was only making her more anxious. Cloud's silence didn't help, but she knew he was listening and kept going. She paused now and then, waited to see if he had anything to say. He had remained quiet and made a small move of his head or hand to prompt her to continue. So she did. Terra wasn't sure how long she had spent talking. It was still daylight through the window but that meant nothing in this world. She had never told her full story to anybody, most of the people with the right to know it had been part of it.

Now, she had stopped. She had told Cloud her entire life story, minus the details he already knew that she hadn't made up. The final piece had been her discovery as a Warrior of Light and being chosen by Cosmos to battle Kefka, wielding her old abilities to do it. Several minutes had passed now, and Cloud had been motionless and silent. Terra stood in the middle of the home, shifting her weight as she waited for him to talk. Watching closely, even his eyes weren't moving, staring straight ahead except to blink. Terra licked her lips.

"Say something," she whispered, almost pleading. Cloud lifted his eyes up to her, then looked back at the floor.

"…I'm trying to think of what to say," he said after a moment. Terra made a small sound. It made sense. She had told him so much it couldn't have been easy for him to take in so quickly. Still, the silence was making her uncomfortable. Cloud began to open his mouth as if to speak again, then closed it.

"What?" Terra asked. Cloud took a breath.

"That night I found you after Onion Knight had vanished…you had transformed, right?" he asked.

"Yes," Terra nodded. "The first time I had transformed, my hair had turned green because I was using so much of my power. My father's hair was dull green, the blond is from my mother."

"I see…Onion Knight, did you…"

"No," Terra said quickly, shaking her head. "He…the one who was helping me, Golbez, he told me the Cloud of Darkness had captured him once I defeated him."

"Golbez?" Cloud asked, lifting his head.

"You know him?"

"He's Cecil's brother, right? Cecil mentioned him. I thought he was with Chaos."

"He is," Terra said, "but I sense light in him, and he has explained himself to me. He isn't evil, even if he is aligned with Chaos. He wants to help us."

"Help us how?"

"Golbez has made a pact with Cosmos," Terra explained. "In his world, Golbez and his people are dead. If Golbez helps Cosmos end the cycle of war for good and stop Shinryu from awakening, she will revive him and his people once the worlds are restored."

"So Gabranth was telling the truth," Cloud muttered. "The war has happened before."

"Yes. But this time things are different. Golbez has been helping us, he can change the outcome of the war. We can trust him Cloud."

"I hope so," Cloud sighed. Terra bit her lip, wondering if she should say what she wanted.

"…and me."

"Huh?"

"You can trust me too Cloud," Terra said. Cloud gave her a strange look.

"Why wouldn't I?" he asked. "Just because of what you told me?"

"I just…I thought…"

"Thought what, because you're not human that changes things? I…okay that made more sense in my head," Cloud clenched his eyes shut and let out a slight growl. "Look, how long as have traveled together? I've lost track but it's been long enough that I know who you are. Yeah, things are a bit different now, but you're still Terra last time I checked."

"Aren't you afraid I might hurt you?" Terra asked. "If I lose control again…"

"Yeah, I'm a bit worried. So?" Cloud shrugged. "I brought you back once. If you lose control I'll figure out how to do it again."

"What if you can't?"

"Don't say that."

"But if I-"

"Terra…" Cloud said sternly. "Don't say that." Terra blinked.

"You…you're really alright with this?"

"I knew something wasn't lining up. Just didn't know what," Cloud said. "What you've told me actually makes sense when I put it together. So yeah, I'll be alright. I'm a little annoyed you didn't tell me _before_ this happened, but I get you had good reasons not to."

"Yes." Terra was surprised. Cloud really didn't seem bothered by what she had told him. Most of the people who had laid eyes on her Esper form were terrified of her, or at least exercised caution around her. Cloud noticed the look on her face.

"What is it?"

"I just…I'm used to people being afraid of me," Terra explained. "Where I come from not a lot of people make a habit of transforming into monsters."

Cloud lifted his head and let out a laugh. Terra's eyes widened slightly. She hadn't heard Cloud laugh much since they'd been together.

"Where I come from, people turning into monsters is part of my usual day," Cloud said, chuckling. "Terra, trust me. You aren't the first person I've seen do that, and compared to most of the ones I've put down your Esper isn't really that scary."

"Oh…thank you, I guess," Terra smiled. Cloud returned the gesture.

"So…what now?" he asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Do you want to keep going? I'm feeling surprisingly energetic after that," Cloud explained. "Plus there's still daylight."

"I'm okay to keep going," Terra nodded. "You sure you're alright? I mean…" her eyes darted to Cloud's cheek. She had naturally used her magic to heal the slashes her Esper had cut on his face and the wounds were now invisible, but she still saw them. She had taken her claws to him, tried to kill him, and he still trusted her? And still felt like he could travel the same day?

"You're more worried about this than I am," Cloud noted. "Why do you feel so guilty about that?"

"I was the one who did it," Terra said.

"You said you can't control the Esper. That means you couldn't help but do it or not. Besides, didn't you say you sensed Kefka pushing you over the edge?"

"Yes."

"Then blame him, not yourself. This never would have happened him he hadn't forced your powers to overwhelm you," Cloud said. "So, let's go find him and teach him to leave you alone." Terra smiled again, and nodded.

"Right."

"The presence we've been following, how much further?"

"It's close, actually. If we hurry through the night we could be there tomorrow."

"That settles it then," Cloud nodded. "Let's go."

"You're awfully chipper for someone who could have died a few hours ago," Terra noted.

"Yeah, so?" Cloud replied.

"It's just a bit odd to see you like this."

"I'm not allowed to be in a good mood?"

"Nevermind," Terra shook her head in amusement. I want to finish looking through the shop, then we can go, okay?"

"Sure," Cloud said. Terra left the home, leading the door open behind her. Cloud let out a breath as she left. He _was_ in a good mood, which surprised him somewhat. But he had a good reason to be. So many things suddenly made sense now. Terra's secrecy, her powers, her change of hair, his dreams. It was all in the open now, he finally understood. At least, it made sense to him, would it to Terra?

"_She said she doesn't remember some things about her past either…" _Cloud thought. The question was exactly what Terra did and didn't know. He had a hunch, and it was ludicrous…but it still fit in spite of how outlandish it was. Terra had said when she was a child, she had been taken from the Esper world, kidnapped by the Empire. The Esper world…an alternate realm of existence where the Espers lived. If…somehow…that world…

"_Maybe I _do_ know her,"_ Cloud lifted his head. It would fit, almost. Had he known Terra, years ago, when she was younger? He had forgotten so much, and was remembering things that didn't make sense before. But…if there was a chance that the Esper world she had mentioned…

"If our worlds were connected…then, isn't our presence in this war proof that in some way there _are_ connected?" Cloud wondered aloud. If there were connected somehow, could that Esper world Terra had mentioned be…Cloud closed his eyes. It made no sense and yet it did. Terra, a woman half-Esper and half-human. It seemed so familiar to him…

"I have to be sure," he whispered. "Before I can tell her…I have to know more." Cloud lifted his head and walked out the door to find her.

* * *

"The time has come."

Kefka lifted his eyes from his hunch as Sephiroth landed gracefully in front of him, a small smile on his face.

"He has almost arrived," Sephiroth said.

"Yippee for you," Kefka spat. "What do you want me to do?"

"If it is at all possible for you, shut up and stay out of my way," Sephiroth said coolly. Kefka sneered and flipped Sephiroth the middle finger, vanishing in a violet light. Sephiroth chuckled slightly and held out his hand. With a soft green glow, the Crystal appeared levitating above his palm.

"It is a pity you'll never know the true poetic irony of your defeat, Cloud," Sephiroth whispered, staring at the glowing green Crystal in front of him. "Your memories of Ancient, and the Materia she used to save you, now twisted to send you spiraling into my control once again." Sephiroth lifted his hand to take hold of the Crystal and closed his eyes.

"Sephiroth."

Sephiroth opened his eyes and let out a slight growl. Behind him, Mateus appeared and stepped forward.

"What do you want?" Sephiroth asked, looking over his shoulder. "I'm busy."

"I need to speak with you before you execute your plan," Mateus explained.

"And you couldn't have just told me yesterday, you had to come here now and annoy me," Sephiroth muttered.

"It is important Kefka not know," Mateus said. "I assure you this is worth the slight annoyance. You wish to use the powers of Chaos to seize control of your world, don't you?"

"What of it?" Sephiroth asked, turning.

"I'm afraid your plan will fail. The Warriors of Cosmos have simply made too much progress, and recovered too many Crystals. The power of light will soon begin to recover, and Chaos will be defeated. Even if your plan succeeds now, in the end our forces will lose and we will banished back to oblivion with our servitude to the gods over."

"So, we cannot win now," Sephiroth said. "All the more reason to shatter what is left of Cloud's mind and kill the girl. Two small victories I can yet take."

"And ignore a much larger victory to be had? I think now," Mateus said. "What if there were still a way for us to win, though it would require a course of action you would not approve of."

"The course of action I approve of is the one that gets me what I want," Sephiroth said. "Explain yourself." Mateus smiled.

"Tell me, have any of our comrades ever mentioned to you 'the divine dragon'?"

* * *

"We're close," Terra said, holding a hand to her chest. "I can feel the energy growing stronger." Ahead of her, Cloud stopped and looked around the area. Odd rock formations sprung up from the barren ground, forming vaguely aquatic shapes. Somehow, the place seemed familiar…

"Where is it come from now?" Cloud asked, watching Terra walk ahead of him.

"Just over this wall," Terra pointed to the large cliff slightly ahead and to the left. "If we can find a way over it, we might be able to see what's been causing this."

"Right," Cloud nodded. His heart felt heavy for some reason. He couldn't shake the sense of dread coming over him. This place, he knew it, he was certain. He had been here before, but why, and how? What was he forgetting?

"There!" The sound of pounding footsteps echoed as Terra ran forward, a smooth, sloping path reaching up the side of the cliff. Cloud walked after her, lights going off in his eyes. This place, what was it? He let out a cry and clasped a hand over his face. "Cloud, hurry!" Terra called down from the top of the path. Cloud lifted his head and picked up the pace, running up to stand beside her. "Amazing isn't it?" Terra said, nodding her head towards the source of the energy source they had been following. Cloud turned his head, and his breath caught. Terra looked up at him, confused. "What is it?"

"We shouldn't go down there," Cloud whispered. In his head, he didn't know why he was suddenly so afraid. But he was. They had no business there, even if whatever they had been following was down there, they had to leave it be now that he knew where it was coming from.

"Cloud?" Terra said, putting a hand on his arm. Cloud looked down at him, then up at her. "What is this place?" she asked. Cloud took a breath and looked back out over the edge of the cliff.

"I couldn't remember coming down the valley, but I know now," he replied. "I recognize this place, it's from my world…"

"The Forgotten City."


	19. Control

Shards of Memory

**Extra-long chapter this time, enjoy it, for it is perhaps the most pivotal chapter yet! Why? Read and find out…**

Chapter 19

Control

"_**To become different from what we are, we must have some awareness of what we are**_." – Eric Hoffer

* * *

_"We shouldn't be here," _Cloud thought, standing still in the entrance room of one of the small, seashell-like structures as Terra explored it. Everything in his body was screaming at him to leave, to put as much distance between himself and the Forgotten City was quickly as he could. But he couldn't understand why. He remembered something had happened here before, he clearly remembered passing through the city with his comrades and stopping overnight. There was something he had forgotten, he knew that, there was another hole in his memory. What could it possibly be to make him feeling like this?

"So what is this place?" Terra asked, her voice coming from around the corner of the structure. "You said it's from your world?"

"Yeah," Cloud answered simply, staring at the red-orange wall to his left. He wasn't really listening, he was busy mentally sifting through his memories trying to figure out why he was so unnerved. He had come here while tracking Sephiroth, then…something…he had returned here years later to find the children Sephiroth's remnants had kidnapped, but that couldn't have been it.

"Cloud?" Terra asked, giving him a concerned look. Cloud didn't acknowledge her, starring off into space. She lifted a hand and waved it front of his eyes, and Cloud jumped. He turned to Terra.

"What?" he asked, slightly annoyed.

"I asked a question, you didn't hear me."

"What?" Cloud repeated.

"I asked you what this place was, in your world," Terra said. "You called it the Forgotten City, right?"

"Yeah…the Cetra, this was one of their cities when they were still around," Cloud explained. "My friends and I passed through here on our way north."

"Oh," Terra mused.

"Why?"

"You seem really distracted, and you said we shouldn't come here. I'm a bit worried," she shrugged. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah….sorta…"

"Did something happen here?" Terra asked, peering closer. Cloud nodded.

"Yeah…something bad…"

"What?"

"…I can't remember."

* * *

Sephiroth stood silently, watching the round green Crystal in front of him levitate, just level with his chest. An hour ago he had been prepared to seize control of Cloud, kill Terra, and then use him to kill his former comrades, and if possible, Kefka when he had the chance. Then Mateus had spoken to him. The emperor had been half-right: Sephiroth _did_ approve of whichever path lead him to triumph, but this particular action he would be required to perform did not sit well with him. If Mateus was lying…

_"But what reason could he have for that?"_ Sephiroth wondered. Mateus had always been truthful, if arrogant and annoying. If he were lying, he stood to gain nothing from it. If he were telling the truth…the question was, could Sephiroth afford to chance it? Trust the emperor and listen to his orders, and emerge victorious, or choose not to trust him and continue as normal, and risk being left with nothing. Mateus had put him in a delicate situation. He had given Sephiroth his orders but he could not force him to comply, Sephiroth would decide that on his own. He had not yet decided though, and the time for him to do so was short. Had Mateus waited until now to tell him on purpose, to try and force him into doing what he wanted? To make him think there was too little time left to do anything else?

"I am not his puppet to be played with," Sephiroth said to himself. He couldn't deny though, he had unwittingly allowed himself to be played all along. What difference did knowing it make? He could rebel, and refuse to obey, but that would mean giving up and allowing Cloud to win. His pride would never let him do that. So, with admitting defeat to spite Mateus out of the question, there was only one course of action available to him.

"Very well…if I must then I must," Sephiroth said. "If it will lead to my victory, than I shall play my part…" Sephiroth held out his hand under the Crystal slowly rotating before him. He reached out to it with his mind and narrowed his eyes. "And you, Cloud, shall play yours." Sephiroth closed his eyes and concentrated. The Crystal glow, and the air around the two rippled as a pulse of energy emanated from between them.

_"He has managed to convince himself that Terra is the Ancient he has forgotten…how pathetic," _Sephiroth thought. _"But I suppose I ought to be thankful. That laughable delusion will only make my task easier."_

_

* * *

_Cloud stopped in the middle of the path, his eyes wide. Ahead of him, Terra didn't notice and kept walking towards another sea shell-shaped building. Cloud turned around to scan the wide-open ruins behind him. Aside from the skeletal white trees dotting the area and the crumbling buildings, there was nothing. Cloud stood still as Terra's footsteps grew lower in volume.

_"That voice…I've heard it before."_ He had, he was certain. A woman's voice calling his name, he had heard it clearly. Cloud lifted his head. The dreams. The voice of the woman in the dreams, it was her. But he knew he was awake now, and he had never heard her voice outside of the dreams before. _"What I've forgotten about this place…could it be about her?" _Cloud looked over his shoulder at Terra, now some distance away. She hadn't notice he had stopped and had kept walking. Cloud thought perhaps it was her, the woman in the dreams of memories he'd forgotten. But, if the real source was here, now…

"I have to find out where that came from," Cloud said, turning forward and walking down the path. The path curved forward to the entrance to the city. At the crossroads, Cloud stopped and looked around. He had heard the woman calling to him, but he couldn't tell from where. The other path curved to the right and lead further into the city's outer ring, he remembered that much. The path to his left lead outside the city limits to the top of the cliff they had scaled to see the city itself. The path to the right…Cloud turned his head in that direction. It lead to the city core, a dense thicket of the white trees around a small lake.

_"Cloud."_

Cloud let out a small gasp as the voice sounded in his mind again. This time, he was able to figure out where it was coming from. Brown boots turned in the dirt as Cloud stepped down the central path. Stones crunched under his feet as the path began to angle down towards the lake. The trees on either side of the path grew thicker until Cloud could not longer see the rest of the city. Further down the path the trees spread out to form a large clearing. Across the clearing rose a large building in the form of a pristine white conch shell. Between Cloud and the building, in the middle of the clearing, was a large lake. Cloud walked up to the shore, the tips of his boots making ripples across the water as he just barely touched them to the edge. Flashes of light went off in his eyes, and Cloud let out a cry, lifting a hand to his face.

_"What is it?"_

_ "She's here…and so is Sephiroth."_

_ "Hey, how do you know?"_

_ "…I don't know. I can just feel it…"_

Cloud gritted his teeth and fell to his knees, his other hand going out into the water and pressing against the sand to keep himself up. The pouch on Cloud's belt shifted position, and a small, glowing green Materia orb fell out. The magical orb bounced once and rolled down the slight slope into the water, stopping below the surface as it rolled against a stone. Cloud's fingers clenched into his hair, his eyes wide.

_"What…what is this…?" _he thought, closing his eyes. The flashes were painful, sending jolts through his mind.

_ "Stop pretending you're sad."_

Sephiroth's voice rang clear in Cloud's head, and he forced the anguish away. The memories and voices circling him dispersed, and he lifted his head. The white conch-shell shaped building in front of him rose up from the other side of the lake. Cloud narrowed his eyes and pushed himself up. With a breath, he turned and began to circle around the shoreline.

* * *

"Cloud?" Terra called, walking along the path. "Why would he go off…we don't know what it is we're looking for here," she thought aloud. Ever since they had first glimpsed this place that Cloud had called the Forgotten City, he had been on edge. Something had happened here, something about this place had caused a complete change in his demeanor. Cloud was still hiding something from her, she had told him her secret but he had kept his. And she still had no idea what it could be, but she had a suspicion now it was tied to this city. Why else would it make Cloud act like he had, and cause him to sneak away from her?

"I hope he's still here," Terra said. She couldn't say the same for Cloud obviously, but she liked this place. A low pulse of magical energy surged through the ground, and into every building, rock and plant around them. It was like the entire city was alive with power. It reminded her of the cave near Thamasa, or the energy she had felt surging through the floating continent. The Cetra Cloud had mentioned were ancient mages of great strength, so it would make sense for their city to have an aura of magic over it. To still have it endure after what must have been centuries of falling into ruin, the Cetra must have been mighty indeed.

Terra stopped at a junction in the path and turned her head. The pulse of magical energy was stronger down that direction. Terra walked down the path into a thicket of trees, the white bark slightly luminescent, noticable even under the light of the sun. Terra emerged in front of a large lake. Something caught her eye, and Terra knelt down and reached out her hand. Her fingers wrapped around the Materia orb in the water and pulled it back, water dripping off her hand. Terra looked past it to the lake itself. It was shallow a few feet in, then in the center gave away and fell deep into the ground, almost like a flooded pit more than a lake. Terra looked at the Materia orb in her grasp, then at the white building opposite her.

"Cloud…"

* * *

The glowing, transparent crystal steps hummed and glowed blue with every step Cloud took on them. The walls glistened silver, white and blue, the rock covered by a sheet of magic crystal. The sound of his boots as he descended the crystal staircase beneath the city was almost muffled, the steps cushioning him. He remembered this place, somehow. He had been here before, but why, for what reason? The throbbing in Cloud's head grew more intense with every step, but he did his best to ignore it. It was here. Whatever it was that he had felt calling him for weeks, the presence Terra had felt, the source of his nightmares. He didn't know how he knew, but he knew the answers lay in this place. After what seemed an eternity, Cloud's boots touched on solid, pale crimson floor.

The palace-like structure under the city was as he remembered, or least, how he thought he remembered it. A large lake filled the bottom of the area, a ring of white, pink and crimson towers, turrets, balconies and bridges lining the wall, rising from the water below on long, smooth pillars. The area was lit both by glowing shards of blue crystal jutting up from the waterbed, and by the crystal covering on the walls. Cloud closed his eyes, allowing himself a moment to try and get his thoughts in order. He opened his eyes and turned to walk along the path, when something caught his eye. Cloud looked back to make sure he wasn't seeing things. In the middle of the lake was a single large pillar rising into the air, a staircase leading from a smaller platform up onto a circular platform atop the pillar.

Standing there, in the middle of the depths of the Forgotten City, was a figure.

Cloud squinted to try and make out details, but for some reason his vision blurred. Looking around, Cloud put his hands on the railing in front of him and jumped, landing on a lower platform just above the water's edge. Cloud ran across to a series of circular platforms rising from the water. With only a moment's hesitation he jumped onto the first, then the second. Cloud jumped across and landed at the bottom of the small staircase leading up to the central platform. Nervous, anxious and curious, Cloud slowly ascended the steps. The central platform was covered in white and black tile under his feet, and was illuminated by a pillar of light shining down from above.

"You…" Cloud whispered. Standing on the other side of the platform, standing straight, hands clasped over her front, the figure didn't respond. "You're her, aren't you?" Cloud asked, cautiously taking a step forward. The figure turned her head to the left slightly, brown hair swaying slightly with the movement. "Who are you?" Cloud asked, stepping closer.

"Cloud…" the figure said softly, the voice the same as the one from his dreams. She turned, and Cloud inhaled sharply. "Do you really mean…you've forgotten me?" the woman asked. Cloud stared. The figure before was smiling at him sadly, a smile he'd seen before: Terra. Cloud winced and clutched as his head as the throbbing grew into a pounding. The Terra-woman with brown hair watched as Cloud fell onto his knees.

"Is your mind really that _easy to break_?" she asked, her smile vanishing.

The voice suddenly changed in mid-sentence, turning colder and masculine. Cloud strained his head up to see Sephiroth looking down at him.

"Sephi…" Cloud groaned, clenching his eyes.

"Really Cloud," Sephiroth lectured, the image of him flickering. "You're even more _pathetic than I thought_," the voice shifted again, Terra's voice overlaid with Sephiroth's as his hair turned pale blond, cold green eyes turning blue. "You used to be so strong," the figure said, eyes shifting back to green and hair darkening to brown. "Look at you now…"

"What…is this…" Cloud ground out, doubling over.

"This is the truth of who you are," the figure sneered. Terra, Sephiroth, and the dream woman – the voices intermingled with each other as the mysterious figure spoke. "You try and hide it, run from it, deny it, and you just come back to it again." The figure kneeled and placed a hand on Cloud's shoulder. Looking in between the fingers clawing at his head, Cloud watched the visage of the figure twist into a cruel smile, eyes flickering between blue and green. "Why do you think I lead you here?"

"Lead…me…"

"Yes…back to where you belong. To where you've always belonged," the figure chuckled darkly, the black glove on Cloud's shoulder lightening to red. "You need someone to guide you, otherwise you'd be helpless. You can't even keep track of your own memories without Terra there to keep them held together." Cloud didn't respond. Silver hair ruffled slightly as Sephiroth's face shifted. "Now, make a choice," the figure ordered, Terra's face smiling. "Lay there and die, or get up and fight."

* * *

_"What is this place?" _Terra thought, watching her feet as she stepped down the crystal staircase. The aura of power surrounding the city was growing stronger with every step she took into the depths below. Below, there was a large lake ringed by pink and white towers and balconies. Terra looked out below again, and gasped.

"Cloud?" she called, her voice echoing off the crystal walls. The man kneeling on the platform in the center of the cavern didn't respond. Terra bit her lip, and closed her eyes. A bright blue aura lit up over her arms, and she leapt, slowing descending to the ground below. Terra opened her eyes as she fell and took a shaky breath as she watched the ground loom up before her feet. Her heels touched on one of the balconies, and the aura of magic vanished. Terra looked up at Cloud and jumped across a line of circular columns in the water, landing at the foot of a small staircase below him.

"Cloud?" Terra repeated, running up to him. Cloud was on his hands and knees, his eyes closed. "Are you alright?" she asked. Cloud turned his head towards her and nodded.

"Yeah…" he said, pushing himself up. "I just…I think Sephiroth is here."

"Where?" Terra asked.

"I don't know," Cloud said, "but I felt him here…we need to find him before he pulls something."

"Right," Terra nodded, turning to look around the cavern. "The power I've been sensing seems strongest down here, if he's around he might be-" Terra began to turn, and gasped as Cloud swung the Buster Sword towards her. She raised her arm with a scream, a barrier rippling around her. It didn't form fast enough, merely deflecting the blow. Cloud was knocked away, the force of his strike knocking Terra off balance. She stumbled backwards and fell down the steps, lying on her side on the small landing below. She looked up, Cloud running across the platform towards her. The Buster Sword cleaved down through the air, and Terra rolled off the landing. She fell in the cold water below, the giant sword inches from hitting her and shattering the tile under where she had been.

Underneath the water, Terra kicked as her cape got tangled in her legs. Pushing herself to the surface, she gasped for breath and looked up. Cloud rose to his feet above her, glaring down at her.

"Cloud," Terra whispered, "what are you doing?"

"He's just having a little fun!" Terra turned her head to see Kefka standing atop the spire of one of the side towers, a wide grin on his face.

"Kefka…what have you done to him!?" she shrieked.

"Me?" Kefka gasped, pressing a hand to his chest in mock surprise. "Whatever did I do to deserve such accusations? Ya'know, besides the obvious."

"Kefka," Cloud muttered. "I told you-"

* * *

"To stay out of this." Sephiroth spoke the words aloud, his eyes closed as he focused his energy on Cloud. Of course he was fighting, but Cloud was too weak to repel him. The trauma and despair of events his conscious mind couldn't remember had broken him enough to allow Sephiroth to take hold of him. Cloud was putting up a stronger defense then he had expected or would have preferred, but the hold was sturdy enough. Cloud was his to command.

_"Oh come on, be a sport!" _Kefka's words rung in his head as he heard them through Cloud's ears. _"You didn't think I was gonna let you kill her and not snag a front-row seat, did ya?"_ Sephiroth let out a growl and turned Cloud's head back to Terra.

"I'll deal with you later…" he said.

* * *

"For now," Cloud said, pointing the tip of the Buster Sword at Terra. "Get out of there."

"Sephiroth…" Terra whispered, realizing what had happened. "It's you, isn't it!" Cloud smirked.

"I really ought to thank you," Cloud said. "I had thought you would have kept his mind too stable for me to shatter. But in the end you helped me. Even I hadn't expected this turn of events, but I thank you for it nonetheless."

"What are you talking about?" Terra asked.

"He hasn't told you? …ah, so he hasn't," Cloud chuckled, kneeling down with an arm draped over his knee. "Cloud forgot someone dear to him, and try as he might he couldn't remember anything about her, not even her name. Then, you and he met. You and her…you're so much alike it amazes even me. Cloud didn't realize it, but his mind was so weak and desperate to save itself, it clung to the illusion that the two of you were the same. Impossible, of course, but Cloud is so deluded he doesn't know that. To keep the shards of memory he still had of her intact, his mind began to remember you in her place."

"This is where she died, which is why he so hates this place but can't figure out why," Cloud continued. "I almost made him kill her with his own hands, at this very spot. But he resisted, so I did it myself. Coming back here, the pain of forgetting her, watching her die before his eyes, almost doing it himself…he simply couldn't handle the strain of it, the emotions were too great even if he doesn't understand what caused them. He was so convinced that the two of you were the same person, it was easy to distort that pain and direct it towards you. Now, part of him even _wants_ to kill you. Between the false memories I've given him, and the ones his own mind twisted to include you, he doesn't know the reality of events anymore. He can't tell if you're a friend or an enemy now."

"You're lying," Terra cried. "Cloud wouldn't fall for your lies, and neither will I!"

"I love it when she gets defensive like this," Kefka giggled.

"My lies? He's fallen for his own," Cloud said. "He'd tell you so himself, if you would only live long enough to speak to him again." With that, Cloud held out his hand. Tendrils of dark energy snaked through the air from his palm, descending towards Terra. Terra turned and swam away, the tendrils dipping under the water to follow her. She reached the edge of the platform lowest the water and climbed out, a chill shooting up her spine as one of the tendrils twirled around her leg. Terra drew her sword and sliced it apart, the other tendrils vanishing in dark smoke.

With a single leap, Cloud cleared the lake and descended toward Terra, the Buster Sword held over his head. Terra dove aside to avoid it, rolling onto her feet. Cloud turned and ran towards her, slicing the sword horizontally. Terra jumped back to avoid it, floating in the air overhead. Cloud glared up at her and held out a hand, more tendrils of darkness weaving into the air. Terra sent a blast of fire at the tendrils, dispersing them into puffs of black smoke. The smoke shivered and reformed into the streams of darkness, and kept coming. Terra turned and flew away, the darkness following her through the air.

"Run run run!" Kefka called, lifting a hand over his eyes as Terra flew past him and turning to watch her. Two dark tendrils raced by on either side, and Kefka pulled back with a growl. "Hey, watch it!" he snapped. Below him on a balcony, Cloud landed from a jump and stood up.

"If you're going to be here, at least make yourself useful," he replied, waving a hand and sending out another tendril. "Otherwise you're just in the way." Kefka lifted his other hand and tapped his chin for a moment, then flashed a grin.

"Bite me."

Terra dove down, skimming along the surface of the water as the darkness chased her. She turned over in mid-air and flung out another fireball. The attack exploded on contact with the tendrils, but they reformed once again. Terra flew around the central platform, stopping in the air as two more tendrils raced around the other side in front of her. She flew to the side, the steams from behind and before her merging and turning to follow. Terra turned and lifted hand, conjuring another fireball. Suddenly, a jolt shot through her, and she hesitated. The dark tendrils rushed into her, and Terra let out a scream. She was driven back through the air, slamming into the wall and falling forward.

"Oopsy," Kefka smirked, spinning the red and black Crystal on his fingertips.

"About time you did something useful," Cloud said, walking towards Terra. Terra began to climb to her feet as Cloud neared, and raised her head in time to see the Buster Sword be drawn back over his shoulder. Cloud swung, and Terra lifted an arm, a barrier rising over her. Cloud was pushed back, and Terra got up, breathing heavily.

"Cloud…I know you're in there," she said. "Fight him. Don't let him do this!"

"Waaaaaste of time!" Kefka laughed.

"He can't hear you," Cloud sneered. "Not where he is now." A dark aura appeared over the Buster Sword, and Cloud swung. Terra raised another barrier to deflect the blow, and cried out as the sword slammed into it. Sparks of dark energy flew and Terra stumbled back. Cloud swung again. Another barrier appeared, and Terra nearly fell with the impact Cloud made on it.

"He has to hear me…" Terra insisted.

"Waste your breath then," Cloud said, advancing. "You can't keep up your defense forever." Cloud twirled the Buster Sword and brought it down in an overhead cleave against another of Terra's barriers. She fell back, sliding along the smooth white floor on her back. Cloud marched forward as she pushed her torso up.

"Just kill her already!" Kefka screamed. "What's the hold-up?"

"Shut up," Cloud muttered. The aura of darkness over his weapon intensified, and Cloud swung. Terra lifted an arm, and her barrier had only a moment to rise into place before it shattered in a shower of sparks, Cloud's attack barely blocked in time. Even blocked, the force sent pain up Terra's arm and knocked her onto her back. Cloud's hand came down to grab Terra by the throat, lifting her in the air and throwing her. Terra fell onto a lower platform, arcing her back on impact and rolling onto her stomach. Cloud jumped and landed behind her, reaching out and grabbing her ponytail. Her head was pulled back, eliciting a sharp gasp.

"Ya know," Kefka yawned, draping an arm over the balcony behind them, "normally I'm all for attacking and torturing innocent people, but in this particular case I'd rather we skip to the _death part_!"

"You think you can save him?" Cloud sneered, twisting Terra's head to look at her face. "You can't even save yourself." Terra cracked her eyes open to look up at Cloud. "I'm disappointed in you Kefka," Cloud said loudly, turning to look up at the man behind him. "Considering how much you've spoken of her strength, she isn't even putting up a fight." Terra lowered her eyes and moved a hand to the folds of her skirt.

"Eat me Sephy!" Kefka snapped, gnashing his teeth. Cloud looked back down, and Terra thrust up her hand, pushing the Materia orb in her hand into Cloud's chest. With a burst of fire, Cloud was flung back, hitting a column while Terra fell onto her chest. Terra climbed to her feet, Cloud following suit behind her. The Materia in her hand vanished into her skirt as she reached down her waist, drawing her sword and holding it out.

"You intend to fight after all?" Cloud asked, swinging the Buster Sword forward. "You're too weak to defeat me."

"I don't care," Terra replied. "If I let you do this to Cloud without at least trying, I'd never forgive myself."

"As you wish," Cloud said. He swung, and Terra lifted her sword, magical energy coursing through the blade. With a flash Cloud's blow was blocked, the sword in Terra's hands ringing. She took advantage of the opening and flung a fireball into Cloud's chest, knocking him onto his back. With a soft cry, Terra fell onto one knee, the sudden attack using more of her strength than she had expected. Cloud lifted his legs and kicked back onto his feet.

"You barely have the strength to defend yourself, much less take the offensive," he noted. Terra winced and pushed herself back into a standing position. "Besides, you wouldn't dare hurt him, not seriously. We both know that. You're as dangerous to me as a snake with no fangs." With a cry, Cloud charged forward, the Buster Sword cleaving the air again and again. Terra narrowly deflected each blow, her muscles screaming in protest with the swift movements. Cloud swung down, knocking Terra's blade aside, and with the same motion twisted his arm and brought it back up. The red fabric of Terra's dress tore, leaving a red line of blood over her stomach. Terra gasped and clutched at her stomach, stumbling back. With a spin of his weapon, Cloud slammed the Buster Sword into the ground. A burst of green energy erupted from the weapon and rushed into Terra's feet.

The energy beam exploded, catapulting Terra through the air. She landed heavily on the central platform, hitting on her back. Beside her, her sword landed with a metallic clang.

"Finish her, _finish her!_" Kefka screamed, jumping up and down. Terra panted and reached out to grab her weapon, then turned over to pull herself towards the railing around the platform's edge. A shadow loomed over her, and Terra looked over her shoulder. In the air above, shadowed by the light shining overhead, Cloud leapt through the air, the Buster Sword held over his head. Terra let go of the railing and fell with her back against it, lifting her sword up and bracing the blade against her free hand.

Cloud descended and slammed the Buster Sword down, a shockwave of black and violet energy pulsing from where it met Terra's barrier. Sparks flew from the contact point, and with a slight growl Cloud set his feet on the ground and pushed. Terra nearly fell onto her back, trying to sitting up.

"Cloud…" she whispered, looking up at him. Cloud's face and eyes were blank. "You have to fight him…you're too strong to let him do this…"

"Wrong-o!" Kefka cackled, jumping onto another tower. "He's way too weak to stop him, you both are. Pooooor wittle Terra," Kefka made a show of wiping his eyes, "She's gonna die and she didn't even put up a fight. How pathetic can you get, really?"

"No…I don't believe that!" Terra protested. Her arms began to shake, and she focused her strength into holding up the barrier keeping the Buster Sword at bay. Tears began to stream down her face, and she let out a cry of pain from the strain.

"Believe it," Cloud said coldly. "Your voice cannot reach him where he is. Cloud is beyond what little help you could possibly provide. I control his every action now, and both of you are powerless to stop it."

"Never…Cloud is stronger than you know," Terra said.

"Please. You know him for how long, and profess to know him."

"Better than you do!" Terra shouted. "Cloud may have hesitations, and he may be afraid sometimes. But I've seen him fight, and I know what he's told me about him, and about you. More than that, I've seen his heart, and I've seen yours, Sephiroth. No matter how much you taunt him, no matter how you manipulate him and try and control him, it doesn't change the fact that in the end, Cloud Strife is stronger than you could ever be!" feeling new strength, Terra tilted her head up. "Why do you think he keeps beating you!?"

It was then, Terra saw it. It was only for an instant, but in that split second, time slowed to a crawl. The blank expression on Cloud's face softened slightly. Blue eyes staring coldly at her grew warmer, and locked onto Terra's. Then, it was gone. But Terra suddenly felt new strength coursing through her. She had seen it, if only for that brief moment, Sephiroth's control had slipped, and Cloud had broken though.

"You _are_ in there…" she said, smiling triumphantly. With a sneer, Cloud narrowed his eyes. The aura of darkness over the Buster Sword flared up, tendrils of power cracking the air around it.

"It doesn't matter," he hissed. "A brief lapse, nothing more. I let your taunts distract me momentarily. Don't think I'll make the mistake of letting it happen again."

"But it doesn't have to," Terra groaned, pushed back again. "He _is_ in there, for all your talk he's still fighting you."

"He won't break through in time. What can you do? Taunt me? That won't distract me again. And you don't have the strength or the courage to attack, and risk harming him. You're helpless," Cloud said. With another push of his arms, the Buster Sword lurched forward, and Terra's arms shook.

"I…no…" Terra said, closing her eyes.

"Believe it!" Kefka laughed. "You're gonna die, all alone in the middle of nowhere, and it's gonna be your only friend left who's gonna do it! And you can't do a thing to stop him!"

"I…"

"It's over!" Cloud roared. The Buster Sword came back over his head, and Terra opened her eyes as it cleaved down, dark energy turning the metal itself black.

"Time to die, and you can't do a thing to save yourself! Nothing, nothing nothing _nothing!"_ Kefka's laughter filled the air, echoing through the cavern.

In the heat of the moment, her strength nearly gone and the sight of the massive broadsword arcing through the air towards her head, Terra wasn't sure where the idea came from. It was a foolish, unlikely final effort to halt Sephiroth's assault through Cloud. And yet, she had nothing to lose. Another blow would shatter her barrier and leave her open as the Buster Sword cut through it and then her. This was her only option left. She knew Cloud was fighting, somewhere inside his mind he was battling Sephiroth's control. Either reach him, or disrupt Sephiroth's control. Terra had one final chance to make some sort of move to do either, and if she failed then she would die.

Only one thing came to mind from nowhere, and she didn't even have a second to think her idea through before she realized she was acting upon it. The Buster Sword came down, and Terra let out a shout, pushing out her barrier and swinging her sword. The blade came up to meet the Buster Sword, the barrier summoned around it with the final power she could muster crackling with the impact. She swung to the side, knocking the Buster Sword to her right. The edge of the blade slid past her, and Cloud pitched forward as the momentum threw off his balance, a hand coming out to reach for the railing to stop his fall. Startled, Cloud's face twisted into an expression of surprise as Sephiroth was caught off-guard by the counter. At the same time she swung, Terra's free hand reached up, coming up to grab Cloud's shoulder, her fingers digging into the fabric. And with that, Terra pulled herself up, lifting herself off the ground, and pressed her lips against his.

Cloud's eyes went wide as Terra kissed him, her eyes held shut. The single hand now holding the Buster Sword shook and opened, the sword clanging on the ground. Kefka froze in place from his perch, his face twisted.

"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeewwwww," he drawled, turning away and gagging. Terra held herself up, prolonging the intimate gesture. Cloud had stilled at the contact, the only movement the slight twitching of the fingers that had only a second ago held the Buster Sword.

* * *

"Ugh!" Sephiroth's eyes flew open, and he recoiled as if struck. "That…she…" For once Sephiroth was at a loss for words. Terra's kiss had caught him off guard, and with so much of his energy focused on keeping Cloud at bay, the sensation had been too…Sephiroth lifted a hand to his mouth, grimacing. It wasn't an illusion, his lips were tingling, he and Cloud had been so deeply connected he had felt her lips as if-

"Cloud!" Sephiroth cried out and closed his eyes, realizing what he had done. His powers raced at the speed of thought, wrapping back around Cloud's mind. "NO!"

* * *

Cloud's eyelids fluttered shut as Terra kissed him, his hand on the railing holding himself over her, her hand on his shoulder holding her torso up. Terra opened her eyes to see his fluttering and pulled back, scanning his face. The hand on the railing lost its grip, and Cloud collapsed against Terra, the two of them falling onto the floor. His head over her shoulder with the cheek pressed against cold tile, Cloud lay still for a moment, his eyes closed. Terra turned her head and watched. There was a small moan, and Cloud's hand moved.

"Cloud?" she said softly. There was a second moan, and Cloud's head turned.

"T…Terra?" he whispered. Terra's face lit up and she threw her arms around him, hugging him. "What happened?" Cloud murmured, his eyes darting around the chamber he could see from his position. "I feel so weak…"

"It's okay," Terra replied, a few tears rolling down the sides of her face. "You're back…you're back."

"Back?" Cloud asked, confused. "What happened? Where…"

"Don't worry about it yet," Terra assured him, tightening her arms around him. "I'll explain, I just…I thought I'd lost you."

"Lost me?" Cloud asked. "What do you mean?"

"You don't remember?" Terra asked. Cloud's hand moved to push himself up slightly, and he turned his head to face her.

"I remember...someone was here," Cloud said aloud. "Then...Sephiroth?!" Cloud cried. Terra smiled again and reached out her hand, laying it over the back of Cloud's.

"It's okay...you're free now," she said. "That's all that matters."

* * *

"Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee-UCK!"

Kefka's shout grew in volume as he appeared in a dark flash, doubling over and heaving as he stumbled forward.

"That is the most disgusting thing I've ever seen in my life! And I've seen live people disembowled!" he groaned. "I need to gouge out my eyes!"

"Stop your tantrum!" Sephiroth snapped. "At least you only watched it. I experienced it first-hand."

"Ooooh yeah, through Cloud," Kefka muttered. After a moment's thought, he grinned. "So how was she?"

"Shut _up_!" Sephiroth shouted.

"Yeesh, what's got your goat?" Kefka asked. "Okay yeah, we gotta face Chaos now but we can talk him into being nice!"

"It isn't that simple," Sephiroth said, regaining his composure. He had done as Mateus had ordered, seeded the final part of his role in the emperor's plan. But in order to make sure it sprouted, Kefka had to be told. "In order to control him, I had to link my mind with Cloud's. The link went both ways, I saw his mind as he saw mine. I believe he may have…"

"May have what?" Kefka said, lifting an eyebrow. Sephiroth closed his eyes and silently cursed Mateus for forcing his hand.

"…he knows where we are."


	20. Conflict

Shards of Memory

Chapter 20

Conflict

"_**Love sought is good, but giv'n unsought is better."**_ – William Shakespeare

* * *

"What happened…Sephiroth has done it before, but not to that magnitude…not that I remember anyway."

"He was controlling you, right?" Terra asked. Across the room leaning against the wall, Cloud nodded. Terra was sitting on what Cloud would guess was a chair, an outcropping of stone built from the wall of one of the Cetra homes with two small stone supports on the edge.

"Yeah, its part of his power. He has all sorts of powers like that, reading minds, but with me it's a bit different…Sephiroth and I, we're…it's a long story Terra. It's more or less my life story."

"I'm not surprised, it seems most of our stories are," Terra joked lightly. "Tell me…I think we've reached the point we can't afford to keep secrets from each other, not if they're going to be used against us like this," she finished. Cloud nodded and inhaled slowly, turning to the wall.

"I told you about SOLDIER, they get injected with Jenova cells and exposed to raw mako, to make them stronger. Sephiroth was in SOLDIER too, but he wasn't injected the normal way. The Shinra scientists injected him with Jenova's cells and exposed him when he was just a kid. Jenova's cells merged with him and grew alongside him…that's why he became so much stronger than the other members of SOLDIER, and part of the reason why he eventually took on a lot of Jenova's abilities himself."

"That explains it…" Terra whispered. "I was wondering why the two of you are so different when you were both in SOLDIER."

"It isn't that simple…I wasn't in SOLDIER," Cloud said. "I wanted to join, but the SOLDIER process, the training, and the injections, only someone with great mental and physical strength can survive it without going insane. I wasn't one of them, so…I was just made a normal guard."

"Then how…"

"That town we were at the other day, Nibelheim, was my hometown. On a mission to investigate the town, I was sent with Sephiroth and a friend of mine, a SOLDIER named Zack. While we there…Sephiroth found out the truth about…well, pretty much everything. At least, he found out a distorted version of the truth. His birth, what and who he was, Jenova, SOLDIER, Shinra, Mako and the Lifestream, all of it…he went berserk and destroyed the town, then set off to claim what was left of Jenova's body that Shinra was experimenting on. Zack tried to stop him, and Sephiroth almost killed him. Zack was fighting him with this." Cloud hefted the Buster Sword with one hand, and then leaned it against the wall. Terra stood up and slowly moved towards him. Cloud slowly lifted a hand to his chest, fingering the fabric gingerly. "I tried next, but he impaled me. I don't know how I found the strength, I was just a kid at the time, but I overpowered him and threw him into the depths of the reactor. I watched him vanish into the Lifestream, before I fell unconscious. It was…it was the last thing I would do under my own strength for years."

"What happened to you?" Terra asked softly, standing behind him. Cloud hadn't told her that Nibelheim was his home, or what happened to it. She had been fortunate enough to not come across whatever had become of Mobliz in this dark world. She couldn't imagine how he had felt walking the abandoned streets…

"I'm not sure, it never was all that clear. One of the Shinra scientists, Hojo, he had another experiment he wanted to conduct. So he rounded up the survivors of Nibelheim, including Zack and me. What he did…it was similar to what they did to create SOLDIER members, so I heard."

"But, I thought you said the SOLDIER members had to be strong," Terra said.

"Exactly…that was the point. Hojo wanted to test something about the effects of normal people who had been exposed to Jenova's cells. He called it the Reunion theory. He thought that slowly we would all come together again as Jenova's cells inside us tried to reassemble. I spent five years as Hojo's captive, being observed until Zack broke me out and we escaped back to Midgar. By then I was so delirious because of the Mako running through me I didn't even really know what was going on. By the time I got a grip on reality again, it was too late. Zack was dead, Shinra had gunned him down just on the outskirts of the city." Cloud closed his eyes, straining to grasp at the few fragments of the events of that fateful day that had always done their best to elude him.

"I remember…he said something to me…" he whispered. "Maybe I imagined it, maybe not…I think, he asked me a question…" Cloud's hand clenched tightly, his fist shaking. "But I can't remember what I answered…I can't…" Something brushed against his knuckles, and Cloud turned his head and looked down to see a red glove cover the back of his hand. He made a small sound and looked forward again. "I know what happened after that, but I'm not really sure how. I managed to convinced myself I _was_ Zack, in a way. Something Hojo had done to me, something about Jenova's cells…I completely forgot about Zack, and made up my own memories of joining SOLDIER and working for them. There was so many holes in my mind, when he came back Sephiroth used those holes to his advantage. He made me question who I was, and because I wasn't strong enough he was able to take control of me at times using his control over Jenova." Behind him, Terra blinked and lowered her head slightly.

_"I almost made him kill her with his own hands, at this very spot. But he resisted, so I did it myself."_

"But you learned to fight back," Terra said, recalling Sephiroth's words.

"Yeah…I went to a bad place, lost track of who I really was. Tifa saved me, she helped me piece together the truth. By the time Sephiroth and I battled again, my mind was too powerful for him to control me anymore. But this time…" Cloud trailed off and closed his eyes. Nothing more needed to be said, they had both been there.

Terra thought for a moment. Sephiroth had told her how he had taken control of Cloud, playing havoc with his memories and forcing him to relive the pain of past events. How much of what he had said was true, and how much was a lie meant to try and demoralize her? That Cloud had begun to remember her in place of another woman he had forgotten…would he really have done such a thing? Cloud must have noticed her grow tense, as he turned and looked down at her, his hand slipping from hers.

"What is it?" he asked. Terra looked away, hesitating. She had to tell him, if Sephiroth tried to control him again, Cloud had to know how he had managed to do it this time.

"Sephiroth, he said…he said that you had forgotten someone close to you, and…were remembering me instead of her," she said slowly. Cloud blinked. He had suspected, but this confirmed without question that it was indeed Sephiroth behind his nightmares and his memory loss. There was no other way he could have known about Cloud's memories of Terra. Cloud hadn't wanted her to know though, he wasn't sure if his own memories could be trusted and wanted to find out more to confirm it.

"Do you believe him?" he asked carefully.

"Should I?" Terra countered. "I know there's been something wrong with you Cloud, and I don't need telepathy to know it has something to do with me. You tell me who I should trust." She took a breath, realizing she had almost begun screaming at him, and calmed herself. "I don't want to start pointing the finger, because it isn't my place. We've both kept a lot from each other and for understandable reasons mostly. Your memories, my powers…but if Kefka and Sephiroth are going to have this sort of power over us, we can't wait until we almost kill each other a third time to tell the truth. If you choose to not tell me I'll respect that, but I would prefer that you did."

Cloud nodded, his eyes darting about for a moment.

"Yeah…I'd really like to avoid that third time thing," he muttered. "Okay…" Cloud took a deep breath. "Ever since I came here, since Cosmos summoned me, I've been having very strange dreams."

"Strange how?" Terra asked.

"Strange like, dreaming about things I should remember, but when I wake up I can't. Dreaming about someone talking to me, being near me, but I can't see her or remember her name…Sephiroth told the truth. I forgot someone, I don't know who but I know she was someone important. That's why I left my allies, to find out what was happening to me, to get some answers on my own. That's when I met you." Cloud looked Terra in the eye. "And I began to get some of those answers I wanted."

"From me?" Terra said. "Then it is true…you think that woman you've forgotten is me."

"I don't _think_ it," Cloud shook his head, "I remember it. You're there, Terra, in my memories as clear as anyone else. I remember you, fighting beside you, traveling with you."

"Cloud, those memories aren't real," Terra said sternly. "We've never met before. It isn't even possible, I come from another world."

"I know…that's why nothing going through my mind these days makes any damn sense!" Cloud raised his voice into the shout, slamming a fist into the wall beside him. "I know, it can't be true, but its what I remember. I can't help, I look at you, listen to you, watch you fight, and I begin to remember things."

"I know, Sephiroth told me. He said your mind remembered me in her place, to try and stop his…whatever it was he was doing to you." Terra explained. "You remember me in her place because I remind you of her, nothing more than that. But it isn't me, Cloud. And deep down you know that."

"I do, yeah. But you said it yourself, I remembered you the way I am to try and save myself. If that's true, even if the memories in my head aren't real…aren't they enough? Don't I have to keep them, in order to fight him? It doesn't matter if I know the lie or not. Until I know the truth, the lie is all I have. That's why I kept traveling with you, because I had to in order to try and remember."

The two fell silent for a moment. Cloud wondered what Terra thought of him now, that he had been keeping this from her. But as she had said, they had kept other secrets too.

"We have to track down Sephiroth," Terra said at last. "He knows. He has to know who she is, in order to know your memories of her would have this sort of power of you."

"It isn't that simple," Cloud replied. "Kefka's with him, when you attacked me in Nibelheim Sephiroth was there."

"And Kefka was here when you attacked me," Terra continued. "You're right, they've been working together. Easier for us then, we can find them at the same time and both get our Crystal. As soon as we find out where they are-"

"I know where," Cloud interrupted.

"How?"

"I saw it in my head, when Sephiroth was controlling me. A giant tower build out of mismatched steel and dirt, topped by spires. That's where Sephiroth was when he was controlling me. I'll bet that's where Kefka is too." Terra's faced darkened. "You know it," Cloud stated.

"I do…Kefka's Tower, his lair he built out of the ruins of the world when he burned the planet…his monument to non-existence," Terra whispered. "Where is it?"

"I think I can find the way," Cloud said. "When do we leave?"

"Now," Terra answered, looking out the window. "The sun is still low, its going to be a long day, and we don't know how long we have until they try something like this to turn us against each other again. The sooner we find them, the better."

"Good point," Cloud nodded. The two moved towards the door of the home, Terra pausing at the doorway. "By the way," Cloud said behind her, prompting her to turn. "Thank you, for breaking his control."

"I had to," Terra blushed slightly. "I wasn't going to fight you, and I couldn't just run away."

"I could have killed you, you know."

"If I was really trying to win and not just defending myself," Terra said, narrowing her eyes slightly.

"Ha ha," Cloud said, smiling slightly. "I'm just glad you figured out a way to break his hold." He moved past her, and Terra thought quickly. Did he remember her kiss? The last-minute, split-second decision had saved both their lives, but he hadn't said a word about it.

"Do you remember how it was, that I did it?" she asked. Cloud stopped on the path and frowned.

"No…I just remember going to do the altar, and seeing someone. Everything after that was a black blur…the next thing I knew, I was lying on top of you and felt really weak for some reason." Cloud looked over his shoulder. "Why, what did you do?"

"I…I taunted him," Terra lied. "He got irritated and let his control slip."

"You taunted him?" Cloud muttered. "Sephiroth isn't someone who loses his cool easily…I guess whatever you said really got to him."

"I suppose," Terra said. Cloud turned forward, and Terra followed after a moment. After so long it was his turn to lead instead of hers. She doubted she was fit to navigate in her current state of thought as it was.

_ "Why did I kiss him?"_ the question had been circling her mind ever since Cloud had come to his senses, and now that she had time to answer it for herself she realized she didn't have an answer to give. The idea had simply come to her, she didn't know from where. It had worked, though. She didn't know if she had reached out to Cloud or just distracted Sephiroth and shattered his control. Either way, she had freed him. All the same…it had been her first true kiss, not counting the ones she had placed on foreheads and scraped arms. Of course, her kiss with Cloud being her first was the last thing on her mind at that exact moment. It didn't change the reality of the event. But Cloud, so he said, didn't remember it. Wasn't it her responsibility to let him know? It was one of the most personal experiences of her life, and perhaps of his.

_"If he knew, what would he think, though?" _Terra knew virtually nothing about Cloud's romantic life. He had mentioned living with Tifa, but last he had mentioned his family, he had shifted uncomfortably and mumbled his relationship with Tifa was "complicated." Terra hadn't fully understood what he meant then and still didn't. Besides that…

"Why am I thinking about this?" Terra asked aloud, lifting her head to make sure Cloud didn't notice. _"It was just one kiss, to break Sephiroth's hold. It meant nothing. And we both have enough to worry about without me telling him…he doesn't have to know, it isn't important." _Terra felt an odd bulge, and dropped her hand to her skirt, reaching into a pocket. She withdrew her hand and turned the small green Materia shard between her fingertips.

"I would have thought after so long with him, I would understand him a bit better," she whispered, staring at the orb. "I think it actually just got more complicated."

* * *

Sephiroth's breathing was slow and even, his entire concentration on his own body. Cloud was coming, he could already feel him drawing closer. He had to be prepared. Regardless of what Mateus had ordered him to do, he would be ready to do battle with Cloud once again when the time came. As reluctant as he was to admit it, Chaos had gifted him only a fraction of his true strength when he was reborn. He had to focus his energy and gather that strength for the coming clash.

Suddenly, there was a muffled shrieked, and the sound of an explosion. Sephiroth opened his eyes and made a sound in the back of his throat as he watched a few dust particles drift down from the ceiling. In his own twisted way, his would-be ally was preparing for his battle, too. Compared to Sephiroth's, Kefka's preparations were considerably less subtle and much more noisy. At least the mage had – eventually – listened to Sephiroth's request to take his random destruction of his own tower to another part of the structure. A pity the tower had good acoustics. There was a spike of energy, and Sephiroth stood from the small alcove he was sitting it and turned his head to the side.

"So," Mateus began, stepping from the portal that appeared, "how did it go?" There was a whooping cackle, and another explosion shook the tower. With a loud metallic crash, a steel panel on the ceiling came loose and fell onto the catwalk below.

"If that isn't clue enough, they're on their way," Sephiroth said. "I did as you ordered and planted our location in Cloud's head. He and Terra seek us out now, but my question is why. Why would you have me do that?"

"It is as I told you before, we are all drawn inevitably to our final destinies, as Chaos wills it," Mateus said, gesturing with his hand. "Cloud _will_ find and battle you sooner or later Sephiroth, as it must be." The emperor smirked. "Surely you aren't afraid to fight him."

"For your sake, I'll ignore that remark."

"Then give it no further thought, what's done is done and the battle will occur as planned. Don't concern yourself with trivial details."

"I don't consider anything you've told me trivial," Sephiroth said coldly, "especially not what you told me to do when Cloud arrives. My compliance doesn't extend that far quite yet, nor does my trust."

"Trusting me? You'd be a fool to do so. But I know better of you than that. You don't need to trust me if you don't want to, but this has nothing to do with trust, Sephiroth. It has to do with obedience," Mateus replied. "And by obedience, I mean yours to Chaos. This plan has been in motion ever since we were called here, you cannot stray from your charted path. You are powerful, Sephiroth, but not so powerful as you challenge the will of a god and emerge victorious. You will do as Chaos wishes one way or the other. It is that simple."

"I am no puppet to be lead about blindly, not even by a god," Sephiroth said lowly. "Besides, I have never spoken to Chaos, none of us have except for you and Garland. What guarantee do I have it is truly the god's orders I follow, and not yours?"

"Ask Garland yourself if you like," Mateus said. "Besides, assuming it is indeed my plan as you suspect, would it change anything? My orders are still your best chance to get what you want – domination over your world. And though it will take time, that is something I promise shall be yours."

"Your promises mean nothing to me. Now as always, you have a lot to say, but little to support the words." As Sephiroth fell silent, Mateus lifted an eyebrow and looked off into the air.

"Ah…he is coming," Mateus said. "I take my leave. I've an upstart rebel arriving, and I'd be loathe to miss my chance to give him a proper greeting." Mateus turned from Sephiroth and swung his staff through the air, a dark portal manifesting before him. "As for you, Sephiroth, you believe what you wish. Know that I told you this for a reason, though. Consider that before you write off my offer as false."

"That is something else that concerns me," Sephiroth said as Mateus stepped forward. "Why tell me alone? Wouldn't it be best for this plan if all of us knew? Why not tell Kefka?"

"Him?" Mateus asked, looking over his shoulder. "Because feckless destroyers like him will be of little use in the second part of our plans. There will be no place for him, and so he will be discarded. Do not tell me you would prefer he be included."

"If you haven't interrupted us before, I would have killed him myself."

"Then take heart in the knowledge that soon he will be naught but a memory." Sephiroth watched as Mateus stepped into the portal and vanished. There was a sound, and he lifted his head to a piping fixture spanning a shaft above.

"I miss something?" Kefka asked.

"Mateus," Sephiroth said simply. "He came to see how our attack went."

"And did ya tell him you got to mental first base with Terra?" Kefka snickered. Sephiroth gave him a dirty look. "Oh come, she couldn't have been _that_ bad." Kefka's snickered gave way to full laughter.

_"There will be no place for him, and so he will be discarded."_

"Well," Sephiroth muttered, Kefka not hearing him over his cackling, "that's one appealing reason to trust him."

* * *

_"She doesn't believe me…did I really expect her to?"_ Cloud looked over his shoulder. Terra had her head down behind him, watching the ground. Not long after leaving the limits of the Forgotten City, the ground underfoot had become more lush and green, and sparse trees had begun to pop up. The area was giving way to plain and forestlands again. Even after so long, Cloud had yet to get used to the way the face of the world shifted.

Terra had told him Sephiroth had said his memories of Terra were something his own mind made up. It sounded good, until he had met Terra he had never remembered her. Of course, that was rather the point of amnesia, wasn't it? But the lie made sense. Everything Terra had said and said that Sephiroth said made sense. It wouldn't be the first time Cloud's mind had made up memories and filled in holes, and that had ended more or less what had happened to him today. But as he had told Terra, knowing that they weren't real didn't change things, not yet. The fact on its own did little, he needed the truth beyond the lie or else he had nothing. He remembered what Sephiroth's manipulations had done to him years ago in the Northern Crater. He didn't want to relive that, so for now, he had to believe the illusion, until the fantasy reached the finale. That finale was Sephiroth, the only one who knew the truth behind all he had done. Cloud knew where he was now, and Sephiroth would give him the answers he wanted even if he had to beat them out of him – Cloud would almost prefer it that way.

It felt good, after following Terra leading them to a source of energy they didn't know anything about, to be able to head forward on his own will and drive, knowing what was waiting for him. He trusted Terra not to lead him astray of course, but they had pursued what they had discovered was just another of Sephiroth's traps, luring him to the Forgotten City to take control of him again. This time, Cloud knew first-hand where he was going and why, and he felt better for it. Unless of course, that knowledge appearing in his mind was simply another of Sephiroth's tricks. Unlikely though it was, since the tower he had seen was something Terra knew about, he had to admit it was possible. Were the two of them walking into a second trap?

_"No…I can't start thinking like that," _Cloud decided. Paranoia was something he supposed would be expected of him after everything, but he couldn't allow himself to fall into it. Sephiroth _could_ easily be laying another trap, but even if he was did Cloud have any choice but to walk into it? They had no other direction now, and the vision in his head was as good a goal as any. The consequences, he'd deal with when they came around. Until then, he would just have to be on his guard. Terra had made a good point: they could very easily end up fighting each other again, and he would not let that happen.

_ "How _did_ she stop me anyway?"_ Cloud thought. He remembered going down the steps to the shrine, and seeing someone at the altar. Everything after that was a hazy blur of images, feelings and thoughts. The only clear memory after stepping onto the altar was being aware of himself in Terra's arms, suddenly feeling weak and tired, and confused as to what had happened. She had told him Sephiroth had taken control of him and attacked her, and somehow she had freed him. Try as he might to navigate the mental fog, Cloud couldn't remember how. She said she had taunted him, but losing his concentration to verbal taunts wasn't Sephiroth's nature at all. Something else had happened, he was sure of it.

_"Why does it seem there's always some secret I'm not being told?"_

_ "As long as Cloud can keep himself together, he should be alright…but that doesn't help me at all." _Behind Cloud, Terra lifted a hand, a glowing pink aura appearing over her lower arm. _"As long as Kefka can influence my Esper, he's always going to have power over me, until I learn to control it fully. I can't fight him if he can distract me anytime he likes using the Crystal."_ Terra knew that fretting over it wouldn't do her any good. Her control had increased greatly since her battle with Golbez, when he had helped her come to terms with her fears and her doubts. It still did nothing to change the massive wave of power that came whenever she transformed, washing away her humanity. She had to practice her control firsthand, and that meant sooner or later, she would have to give into the transformation again.

_"Can I risk that, though? If I transform again, I could hurt Cloud, or-" _Terra cut herself off. It was exactly that sort of thinking that had caused her to reject the Esper for so long. Yes, she _had_ to risk it, or else risk Kefka exploiting her Achilles heel when they battled.

"What's wrong?" Terra lifted her head, the aura over her arm dispersing. "Something nearby?" Cloud asked, tense.

"No…I'm just thinking," Terra said.

"About what?"

"My power…Kefka can still influence my transformations, and I still can't control myself. Until I learn how to do that, I'll have a weakness he knows he can use to his advantage."

"So what do you plan to do?" Cloud asked.

"I don't know. The only way I could get used to that sort of power is to transform again…but if I do that, you know what could happen."

"Yeah," Cloud nodded. "You can't learn control without transforming. Can't transform safely without learning control."

"Something like that," Terra replied. "I don't know what to do about it."

"I guess you have no choice but to try and transform, run the risk. Unless you can develop your control without it," Cloud suggested.

"I suppose so," Terra said sadly. "I don't want to be afraid anymore, but I have every reason to be. I almost killed you before." Her eyes shot up to Cloud's cheek, now healed, but she remembered the sight of the blood running down his face clearly.

"I remember. That was different though, you said Kefka forced you."

"Yes."

"Maybe it'll be different if you do it willingly then?"

"I…perhaps," Terra said, trailing off. She hadn't thought of that before. Her previous transformations, most of them, had been sudden and unexpected, either her power overwhelmed her after being bottled up, or Kefka caused it to surge up and consume her. Calling up her power when it was latent, when she was ready for it…it made sense in her head.

"I'm right, aren't I?" Cloud asked. Terra bit her lip, her heart pounding in her ears.

"I…I want to try it," she said hesitantly. "I think, now may be the best time…if we get to Kefka's Tower and I still can't…"

"What do you need me to do then?" Cloud was growing anxious now. The only time he had seen Terra's Esper was when it was holding him by the throat. Part of him was worried about a repeat. Mostly though, he simply wanted to see it again to get a better understanding of the other half of his companion's spirit.

"Stand back…I want to concentrate," Terra said, suddenly feeling hot. Cloud nodded and took several steps back. Terra looked herself other, psyching herself up. "Don't be afraid, if I feel it get too great I'll stop," she said.

"I'm not. But okay," Cloud nodded. Terra drew her arms over her chest, laying one over the other, and ducked her head.

_"Concentrate, focus. Remember what father told you, even if he isn't here now he helped you before," _she said to herself, closing her eyes and reciting what, years ago, Maduin's spirit had said to her. _"Remember yourself, keep a grip on who you are. Reach down, feel the energy, let it loose and flow. Don't fight it, control it, it's a part of you like an arm or a leg. Control it like you would any other limb. But don't lose the core. You're you, not the energy, keep your center and it'll wrap around you and respond."_

For several moments, Cloud watched and waited. Terra stood still, not moving or saying a word. He was tempted to approach her, or to say something, but remembered she was concentrating and held his tongue. Finally, after what seemed like a minute, Terra, still in the same position, let out a sharp gasp. As if on cue, a light pink aura appeared over her hands. Cloud tensed.

_"She's doing it," _he thought, watching closely.

_"Don't let it overwhelm you!" _Terra cried in her head, feeling the familiar surge of magic. _"Control it, focus…it isn't evil, not on its own. It's a part of you. Focus on who you are, make it listen!" _As Cloud watched, and as Terra mentally repeated her manta, the pink aura grew cooler, deepening into a bright violet. The aura spread, consuming her body from head to toe in glowing flame. Energy crackled along Terra's skin, unseen wind whipping her hair out behind her. It was then she rose into the air, levitating over the ground a full two feet. Terra's head fell back, her eyes opening. Blue eyes and green hair shimmered, the aura around Terra's body turning bright blue.

_"Not enough…this power…more," _Terra reached deeper inside herself. This wasn't the change, not yet. The Esper was so much stronger than this, she knew it. She had to summon that strength, bring it forth now and not wait for it to overwhelm her senses like it had countless times before. _"More…I'm stronger than this, the Esper is!"_ Her skin discoloring with the intensity of the aura around her, Terra's body itself lit up in a bright glow. Cloud turned away, shielding his eyes with a hand. A few seconds passed as the glow subsided, and Cloud lowered his hand.

Terra lay on the ground, on her hands and knees. Her skin glowed with magical energy, lot violet and purple hair streaming down her back and falling to the side. Cloud blinked and took a cautious step forward.

"Terra?" he called. Terra instantly whipped her head up to glare at him, growling. "Terra, its me, Cloud," he said, edging a bit closer. Terra seemed to hesitate at the mention of his name. "Remember, Cloud?" Cloud repeated. Terra lowered her head, her body heaving in time with a combination growl and pant. "Say something…" Cloud said. Not long after the words left his mouth, he thought that perhaps, in her current state, Terra _couldn't_ speak. "Terra…" A visible shudder went through her body, and the panting and growling ceased.

"C…Cl…Cloud."

The tension in Cloud's body vanished at the sound of his name. It sounded deeper and more guttural, but it was Terra's voice that came from the being in front of him. The yellow talons on the ground flexed, and Terra pushed herself to her feet. Her eyes were wide, and her movements were slow. With her not attacking now, Cloud allowed himself a moment to fully see what the Esper looked like. Long, supple limbs with the slightest hint of muscle tone, with small tufts of purple and blue hair emerging from her lower arms. Her toes and fingers ended in small yellow claws, and her skin was a bright violet, accentuated by the like-colored aura covering her, though it wasn't as intense as a moment prior. Her normally bright green hair had grown, reaching down to her lower back, and changed color to be various shades of violet and purple like the rest of her body.

"Are you okay?" Cloud asked. Terra didn't respond, her head turning to look around, both at the area and at herself.

"This…Cloud…you can't imagine it," she said, finally looking at him. "The power, the energy…it's incredible. You can't imagine how this feels."

"You're controlling it alright?"

"Alright may be a bit much…I can feel it there, press against me, trying to overwhelm me. But yes…I'm in control. It's just…the _energy_, not just in me. I can feel it, pulsing through the ground, the air, through you…" Terra again turned her head to scan the area, an almost euphoric look on her transformed face. Cloud caught a flash of what looked like small fangs in her mouth. "It's like I'm connected to everything, like a power cable running from me to everything…I've forgotten what it was like, it's been years since I've been in control of it like this."

"I'm happy for you," Cloud said, sincere. "Um…this is a bit awkward…"

"What is it?" Terra asked, running her claws lightly up and down her arms.

"When transform, do you always…always." Cloud's face turned red.

"What?" Terra looked at him.

"…do you always end up nude when you change?" Cloud asked, slapping a hand over his face. Terra suddenly burst out laughing. "Well it's a bit hard to ignore!" Cloud cried, feeling embarrassed.

"Yes, sorry if it makes you uncomfortable," Terra said with a smile. "My clothing vanishes whenever I change, it reappears when I turn back."

"…how does that work?" Cloud asked, confused.

"I don't know. My father said it has to do with my mental image of my human self. It doesn't bother me though, it saves me a lot of embarrassment."

"Saves _you,_ sure," Cloud muttered. Terra laughed again. "How do you change back? You know how, right?"

"Yes. It's a lot easier than the initial change. Initially I have to let my power out and control it. Now, I just have to repress it completely."

"Right. I'll just…" Cloud turned around, and Terra smiled again in spite of herself. She closed her eyes and concentrated. "Don't mind me…I just don't make a habit of this sort of thing," Cloud said, his face still red.

"Cloud."

"Yeah?"

"Turn around," Terra answered. Cloud turned to see Terra standing behind him, still an Esper.

"I thought you were going to change back," Cloud said, confused. Terra opened her mouth and struggled to speak.

"That…that's just it," she whispered, her eyes wide. "I'm trying to."

"What do you mean?" Cloud asked, stepping towards her. "You said you know how."

"I do!" Terra cried. "I can't, I'm trying but…this hasn't happened before, this can't happen!" her breathing began to quicken. "How am I going to change back, what if I'm stuck like this now?"

"Terra, you're panicking," Cloud observed, trying to remain calm.

"Yes, join me won't you!" Terra shrieked, her eyes widening more. "I…I…no no no…" Terra held her head, clenching her eyes shut. "This was a bad idea…I never should have done this! Even when I think I can control, I _can't_ control it!"

"Terra…" Cloud reached out to lay a hand on her shoulder. With a bestial snarl, Terra lashed out a hand, spinning him around and knocking him to the ground. Looking at her arm in terror, Terra gritted her teeth.

"Not again," she whispered. "I can't deal with this again!" Cloud pushed his torso up and looked over his shoulder. Tears beginning to roll down her face, Terra tilted her head back and flew into the sky, water glistening in the sunlight as she flew through the air. By the time Cloud had gotten to his feet, she was out of sight.


	21. Confrontation

Shards of Memory

Chapter 21

Confrontation

_**"Power is not a means, it is an end… The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power."**_– George Orwell

* * *

The sun was low on the horizon, sending ribbons of orange and pink weaving in and out of the clouds overhead. The day had been a longer one than usual, but Cloud hadn't covered as much ground as he could have. After Terra had vanished, he had returned to the Forgotten City to see if she had returned. After a time searching the city for any sign of her, Cloud had been forced to decide between looking for her when he had no idea where she could be, or continue on to the shadow of the tower he could see in his mind. He had eventually chosen the tower.

_"If I'm lucky, she'll reappear before I get there…should be some time tomorrow," _Cloud thought, swinging the Buster Sword. The blade cleaved through the tree in front of him on a slight diagonal, leaving the trunk to slide apart and fall to the ground. Cloud swung the sword again to cut the trunk into a shorter log, then kicked out a boot to roll the log away from the leafy upper section lying on the ground. Sitting on the stump, Cloud reached to the pouch on his waist. His fingertips tingled slightly as he touched the Materia orbs there, the vague crackle of power coming from them identifying them. It was subtle, usually requiring training, but different Materia gave off different kinds of energy that gave away their powers, that was how people most often distinguished Materia types from each other, that and color.

Cloud frowned slightly, not feeling something he should have. He withdrew the two orbs from the pouch and held them in his palm as he examined them in the dying light. The left one hummed slightly and had a quick pulse of energy, Thunder. The other one had a slower pulse and had a soothing heat coming from it, Cure.

"Where's the third one?" Cloud asked aloud, passing the Materia to the other hand and reaching back into the pouch to make sure he hadn't missed his Fire Materia. His fingers probed and found nothing. "Damn." He had lost it, somehow. Cloud thought back. He hadn't used it in a while, it could have fallen out of his pocket at almost any time, and hence could be anywhere now.

"_Well,"_ Cloud decided, slipping the Cure Materia into his pocket and palming the Thunder orb, _"I guess I'm lucky it isn't Blizzard."_ Cloud reached out and cracked off a few smaller branches from the top of the tree lying a few feet away, tossing them onto the log in front of him. He held out his hand and focused. With a sharp spike of energy, the Thunder spell erupted from the dull green orb and struck the log and branches. The wood superheated and exploded, the force knocking Cloud backwards off the stump. He pushed himself back up, glaring at the flaming half of the log in front of him, glowing amidst burning bits of wood littering the ground.

"Worked…sort of," Cloud muttered, leaning forward. As he observed the light of the fire in the low light of the setting sun, he noted he was talking to himself a lot more than he should have been. But he had become used to the idea of traveling with someone, he hadn't been on his own in what he imagined was months.

_"Has it been that long?" _Cloud's eyes widened at the thought. He mentally counted the days. He had been with Terra for what had to be at least three weeks, maybe more. And he had been with Cecil and Firion for at least as long as he had been with Terra, Tidus joining their band later. Before that…

"It _has_ been months," Cloud realized, a bit stunned. The days were flying past it seemed, though it didn't help some of the "days" were only a few hours long. When Cloud had first come here, the days had been more or less normal, but then slowly became erratic as he traveled. His memories, Terra's powers, the days, the Crystals…it was all winding down, whatever system was holding the fragments of the worlds together wasn't holding them together as well anymore. It was unravelling at the seams.

"All the more reason to hold together while we can." Cloud lifted his head to look up at the stars becoming visible as the sun dipped below the horizon in the distance. _"Terra…where _are_ you?"_

_

* * *

_Terra had her eyes closed, her focus on trying to revert back to her human form. She had panicked when she had failed before, for good reason. She had taken flight and fled without direction for some time, the landscape blurring underneath her. Eventually she had stopped and realized she was effectively lost. Terra had then stopped at the next building she had found and gone inside to collect her thoughts. That place had been a castle, twin turrets rising into the air on either side. Maybe it was from the world she knew, maybe not. Terra didn't care, she just needed a place to stop and try to get herself under control.

_"This has never happened before_," she thought, tightening her grip on the armrests of the throne. _"It makes no sense for it to happen. Is this my retribution? My powers got tired of my indecisiveness about them and decided to remove the choice?"_ The sensation of her powers threatening to overwhelm her senses and consume her hadn't left her, the urges were still there pressing against her. Terra was still holding them back, but she couldn't completely suppress them. Why, she didn't know, and the knowledge that she didn't know why she couldn't was just as distressing as the inability to shift back itself.

Terra felt a spike of energy, and cracked her eyes open. A moment later, there was a crackle of lightning as a portal opened behind her. Terra recognized the power pulsing from the being behind her and relaxed.

"Misfortune seems to shadow you wherever you go," Golbez said, stepping up beside the throne.

"I suppose that means you can have some company," Terra replied. Golbez chuckled slightly. "Why are you here?"

"My plans are nearing their fruition. The last few pieces move into position for the last few turns of the game. When a pawn goes astray, the wise player must coax it back onto its path."

"Is that all I am? One of your pawns to be guided?"

"That is not necessarily a bad thing, depending on who is doing the guiding, and to where. But no, you are not just another pawn. I have come to think of you as a friend, and there are so very few people I have known to which I could assign such a title."

"You still haven't answered my question. Why are you here?" Terra said a bit more firmly, turning her head to look at Golbez. Golbez returned her gaze.

"You seem a bit more irritable then normal."

"You would too if you were repressing the urge to burn down everything in a two-mile radius," Terra said bitterly, her claws flexing.

"I would ask what troubles you, but that answer is obvious."

"Unlike your answer, which you've yet to give."

"So I do…I came to ask how it was that you became trapped in this form."

"I don't know." Terra shook her head, slumping to the side of the throne. "I just…before when the Esper came, it would vanish as soon as the fight ended. This time, I called it up, and controlled it. And now…"

"But before when the Esper came, it overwhelmed you rather than be commanded to rise up. The difference is there, then."

"That makes no sense!" Terra cried, standing up. She clutched her head and stumbled back. "No…I…you're confusing me." The power was testing her senses, she couldn't focus with her magic bearing down on her. Golbez's words might have made sense if she was more coherent, but as she was now they only confounded her. What, exactly, was different this time?

"Do you think I come to council you every time you are distressed because I find it enjoyable?" Golbez asked, crossing his arms. "You need help. I am able and willing to grant it. You're wasting time here. Kefka and Sephiroth await you both, and Cloud continues to them alone. Against their combined powers, even he will be destroyed."

"Then go stop him, you have the power."

"It is not my place."

"Why is it mine?" Terra shrieked, the Esper side growling slightly.

"Because you are a Warrior of Light. You were chosen to defend your world from the forces of chaos."

"I can't defend anything like this." Terra turned, clutching her arms. Golbez let out a long breath and stepped towards her.

"Hold still," he instructed.

"Why?"

"I wish to try something."

"Will it help?"

"Perhaps," Golbez nodded. "Turn around." Terra obeyed and turned from Golbez. Behind her, Golbez let out another breath and lifted a hand, reaching and pulling off his gauntlet. His bare hand flexed in the air for a moment, and he stepped up behind Terra. "My apologies," he said. Golbez drew back his bare hand and swung it forward, connecting soundly with the back of Terra's head. Terra let out a screech and stumbled to her knees, her claws clutching her scalp.

"That hurt!" she snapped, looking over her shoulder.

"Be thankful I took my glove off, then," Golbez replied, sliding the gauntlet back into place.

"Why did you even do it?" Terra asked, turning forward.

"Nothing else has seemed to work with you. After all the trials and revelations you have experienced, you still reduce yourself to a flighty coward at the first signs of danger. You can control the Esper now, you can remain transformed with the full usage of your abilities, and Kefka is waiting for you. I fail to see the conflict between the three."

"But I can't change back!"

"If you only focus on the problem you will never see the answer. What does it matter if you cannot turn back yet, once Kefka is destroyed you can reclaim your Crystal and regain full control over the transformation. Do not let panic and fear cloud your thoughts, you know what I say is true."

"It isn't that simple," Terra said.

"Only because you make it complicated. You seem to enjoy worrying about and running from your problems more than you do confronting them," Golbez lectured. "If my past meetings with you have not been an indicator, I shall state outright that I have no patience for such people."

"No one is forcing you to help me," Terra snapped. "We both know the only reason you're here is because you need me to kill Kefka so your plan will succeed."

"That is one reason…" Golbez nodded.

"What else then? Stop playing mysterious and give me a straight answer," Terra ordered. Golbez took a breath.

"You struggle to contain your powers. An unquenchable thirst for destruction sleeps in your heart, and it distances you from those who are meant to be your friends. You feel isolated because you alone shoulder the burden of power that no one else knows or could understand. But you harbor the hope to struggle onward with such burdens, to find your place in the world, to find peace with yourself." Golbez reached out a hand to Terra's chin, tilting her head up to look at him, violet eyes catching the light inside Golbez's helmet.

"Though they run separate, your path lies parallel to mine, and they lead to the same place. I have sought to help you because it is this kinship I feel that draws me to do so. You are still young and in need of guidance, but there are none in this world, good or evil, who can guide me." Golbez withdrew his hand. "I help you because it helps me help myself. If you can find those who accept you, and become at peace with your past and your powers…then perhaps, someday, the darkness sleeping in my own heart…" Golbez trailed off, turning his back to Terra.

"That's it…isn't it?" Terra asked. "That's why Chaos was able to summon you. You wanted to be able to find forgiveness, but you never got the chance in life."

"A single, lingering desire born of selfish pride," Golbez whispered. "As long as my heart torments itself with such things, the darkness staining me cannot be cleansed…yes, that is it. Chaos was able to call me to his aid because I was too weak to forgive myself and refuse his offer. Had things been different, had your life taken a different course after that dark day your world was ripped, it could be you shackled to the god of discord, instead of me. You have been fortunate to not fall victim to your own heart. I beg of you, do not start now."

Golbez and Terra were both silent. Golbez stood with his back turned, letting his words sink in. There was a sound, and he turned his head to see Terra pushing open the large double-doors of the throne room.

"Do tell me you are going where I believe you are," he said. Terra stopped but didn't turn.

"You're the mind reader," she replied with a small smile. "You tell me."

* * *

The sun was high in the sky as Cloud lifted a hand to grab another rock outcropping and pull himself up. Stopping to cast his breath, he looked up to see the top of the cliff almost in reach. After a moment he grunted and reached for another rock emerging from the cliff, pulling himself up to it. He reached for another, and with a loud grunt pulled himself to the top of the cliff and over. Cloud swung his feet up onto the barren stone top, panting. It had been, to his surprise, almost a sheer climb up, but he had managed to do it. Cloud's head rolled to the side, and he blinked. Rising into a sitting position, Cloud looked over the landscape on the other side and let his jaw slowly drop. He had been almost everywhere in his world, and to a lot of places in other ones. But he had never seen anything quite like what he saw now.

The ground was barren, save for a handful of half-dead trees and plants. Most of them had lost their leaves and looked like skeletal hands reaching for the clouds. Sun-bleached bones poked out of the dirt, and Cloud recognized a few human skeletons lying half-buried among the bones of animals and monsters. The dirt was orange and brown, the few plants that clung to life sickly brown and black. A single small lake was stagnant with black and green water, a handful of unknown objects floating on the surface – Cloud didn't care to guess what they were. The plains were a sprawling expanse full of death and decay. Some distance away, rising from the center of the area, was a tower.

It wasn't a typical structure constructed out of steel or brick. It was as if someone had grabbed the earth and pulled it into the sky to form a long spire stretching to the heavens, the ground curving up around the structure's base. But it wasn't as clean or simple at that, either. At seemingly random intervals, the tower of dirt and rubble would reveal a sheer face of steel, or a curved brick wall. There was no true pattern that he could see, just a random jumble of dirt and steel and stone that by all accounts should have crumbled. At the top of the tower rose a series of jagged spikes of dirt, stabbing into the air. Dark red smoke belched from some unseen piping system within them, blotting out the blue of the sky and casting a blood-red tint on the ground as the sun shone through it.

"_His lair he built out of the ruins of the world when he burned the planet…his monument to non-existence."_

"That's it…" Cloud whispered, recognizing the area more from Terra's description than the vision in his head. Even without her to tell him so, without having seen it with his own eyes, there was no mistaking it as anything other than Kefka's Tower.

Cloud looked down. Behind the cliff he had just climbed had been a lush forest. Now on the other side, the decent consisted of a fairly gentle slope down. A bit further than halfway down, the lush grass of the area behind him faded into cracked orange dirt. Cloud stood up and started down the slope. Grass and dirt were dislodged and fell in the wake of his feet as he walked. Cloud's foot crossed the barrier where green grass met orange dirt, and the air changed. Cloud wrinkled his nose. The air around the tower was filled with the scent of death. Cloud picked up the pace, trying not to pay attention to the smell. After a moment he reached the bottom of the slope, leaving only flat plain between him and the tower.

The journey across the field provided Cloud with a dark glimpse into the havoc that Kefka had wreaked on Terra's world. Everywhere else they had been was from before Kefka had burned the planet. If these plains were an indicator of how bad the devastation had been, it was a miracle that civilization had managed to endure and struggle on afterward. Just walking across the land was a nightmare – the sun was hot, the air was thick, and the few gusts of wind that provided a breeze also brought the smell of death back to Cloud's nose. How anyone could live in such a world, he had no idea. It was just as bad as the wastelands around Midgar, if not worse.

As Cloud neared the tower, he noticed several orbs of bright color circling the base. Crystelles patrolling the tower. Cloud reached over his shoulder and swung the Buster Sword forward as he continued on. The crystalline automatons were simple and unintelligent, but they would notice him soon. Cloud just hoped there weren't too many of them, a handful he could deal with. He came closer, and one of the Crystelles turned their head towards him. With a raised fist and a gurgled shout from the first, the other Crystelles around the tower turned their heads. Cloud quickly counted. Four that he could see on this side, but the tower was wide and there could easily be more around the side he couldn't see.

One of the Crystelles charged towards him, unarmed. Cloud ducked a clumsy tackle, turning and swinging the Buster Sword to cleave apart the creature as it hit the ground behind him. The Crystelle shattered in a flash of bright yellow crystal and glowing white orbs of energy. Two more, both blue, rushed towards him. Cloud jumped as a large crystal sword swung forward, hitting the ground in front of him. The second leapt up, a large club held overhead. Cloud let out a cry as he was struck, sprawling backwards on the ground. The Buster Sword skidded a few feet away.

"_They're getting smarter," _he thought, pushing himself to his feet. The second Crystelle was coming towards him, sweeping the club through the air. Cloud was flung backwards as it caught him in the chest, landing on his stomach.

"Cloud!"

There was a flash of light, and Cloud lifted his head. Above him, Terra flew down, her arm held back over her chest. With a cry, Terra flung out her arm, a crescent-shaped band of energy fly forward. The two Crystelles and a third behind them simply disintegrated as the energy blade flew through their bodies, particles of light dispersing into the air. Cloud pushed himself up as Terra stopped in front of him, floating upright a few inches above the ground. A few more Crystelles were coming into view from the other side of the tower. Terra's claws crackled with blue energy, and she swung her hand into the ground. Four plumes of white power flashed up from the ground and raced towards the three, slicing them apart.

"Came back, huh?" Cloud asked, looking over at the Buster Sword and walking to retrieve it.

"I'm sorry," Terra whispered, closing her eyes. "I just…needed to think."

"You don't have to explain yourself, I get it…well, as much as I _can_ get it, at least," Cloud replied, swinging the Buster Sword onto its holder. "I'm just glad you came back."

"I had to. I couldn't abandon you, especially not if you were going to keep going against both of them," Terra said, turning to him.

"Are you going to be…alright, fighting like that?" Cloud asked, walking up to her. Terra nodded.

"Kefka's control over me only extends to causing my powers to well up and force me to transform. As long as I can stay in control of my magic, he has no sway over me anymore."

"And you're in control?"

"For now," Terra said, looking up at the tower. "I can feel the urges there. The urge to destroy something, the need to fight. I have so much energy inside me and it wants an outlet."

"So what's the plan?" Cloud asked. Terra reached out and grabbed Cloud's hand, slender purple claws gripping the back of his hand.

"I'm going to give it what it wants," Terra answered. Her eyes flashed, and a glowing blue aura appeared over her skin. The aura extended over Cloud, and Terra closed her eyes. With a sudden rush of air around them, the two levitated into the air and floated towards the tower. Cloud looked down to see a pale, transparent blue field under his feet, holding them up.

"The tower has no normal entrance. We have to enter from the air," Terra said, opening her eyes and scanning the tower's side as it loomed closer. "There." She nodded towards an opening in the side, a crane arm stretching out into the sky from a passage. A set of mine car tracks ended in the middle of the air as they emerged from under the crane. Cloud and Terra floated up to the entrance and set down inside, the blue field of energy around them vanishing when their feet touched the ground. The hall was formed of steel, lit by overhead lights glowing a dull yellow.

"Come on." Terra let go of Cloud's hand and stepped down the corridor. Cloud nodded and followed her. Before long, the corridor and the mine tracks ended in a hallway formed of rubble, random bits of bent metal girders and splintered wood emerging from the walls. Small red lights on the walls pulsed brighter and darker in a slow, steady rhythm.

"Any idea where we'll find Kefka?" Cloud asked. Terra walked down the passage and turned her head to a conveyor belt running down a hole in the right wall.

"He's close. He'll find us," she answered, continuing down the hall. A large pair of metal doors stood at the end. Terra held out her hand as she approached, a ripple of magic energy flying from her palm and swinging the doors open in a gust of wind. Beyond the doors stretched a catwalk over a factory. Terra stopped just inside and looked down. Several glass capsules dotted the floor below, a crane arm stretching over a pit leading further down. Around the capsules and on the underside of the catwalk were white spotlights, the deflections of the light on the glass capsules and the metal railings casting strange shadows on the walls.

"Kefka!" she called, her voice echoing off the steel walls. Cloud emerged from the doors behind her and looked past her at the other end of the catwalk. Another set of metal doors at the end. Terra let out a slight growl and gripped the side of the catwalk. "Stay here," she ordered, glancing at Cloud. With a single smooth motion, Terra jumped and swung her legs over the side, falling into the factory below. Landing in a crouch, Terra's eyes widened at the sound of laughter echoing through the room. Terra spun around and held out a hand, her palm glowing blue. The hallway behind her was shadowed, and she couldn't see anything.

"Cloud!" she yelled, looking up. "Can you see anything over the left side?" Cloud turned his head to the left and looked over.

"No." he answered. Terra lowered her head and slumped her shoulders, turning around. Her breath hitched in her throat as she turned to find a pair of bright green eyes staring into her own blue ones, lips curled into a wide grin.

"Hi honey," Kefka whispered, batting his eyes. Terra gasped and leapt back, landing in a fighting position. "Miss me?" Kefka asked, winking.

"Kefka!" Terra hissed.

"That's my name, don't wear it out," Kefka shot back. "I'm _so_ glad you came, it's kinda boring here. I've been trying to play but the Crystelles die way too easily, and Sephiroth isn't exactly the life of the party." Kefka cocked an eyebrow. "Speaking of Sephy, that reminds me." Kefka looked up and waved at Cloud. "Sorry pal, this is a private show, no audience participation. Scram!" Cloud let out a cry as a dark void appeared under his feet. With a sudden burst of deep violet energy, Cloud vanished. Terra looked up at him.

"Cloud! What did you do to him!" she demanded, looking back at Kefka.

"Cloud and Sephy need some alone time to work out their issues," Kefka yawned, cracking his knuckles. "And by the way, so do we. Let's chat, huh?"

* * *

With a crackle of electricity, Cloud emerged from the other end of the dark portal and fell through the air. He hit the ground with a thud, letting out a long groan. Cloud put out a hand and pushed himself up onto his hands and knees. He lifted his head and blinked at the area around him. A line of floating platforms of white rock formed a spiralling staircase up to the peak of the area, bordered in by a tall column of glowing green energy. Below, above and on all sides, walls of spiritual energy fell and rose and spun.

"The Lifestream…this place," Cloud whispered, climbing to his feet. A low chuckle filled Cloud's ears, and his eyes went wide. He heard a sound and turned to one of the stone platforms floating in the air behind him. Another dark portal appeared, closing to reveal Sephiroth standing above him. Sephiroth looked down at Cloud, a small smile on his face.

"Good to see you, Cloud," Sephiroth said. "I've been wondering how long it would take you to get here."

* * *

"Soooo…how are things?" Kefka asked, folding his hands under his chin. "Gotta say I'm digging the new look. Cute but deadly, totally _you_." He giggled after the last word.

"I would have thought spending a few years _dead_ would change you, Kefka…I guess when the mind is as rotten as yours nothing really sinks in," Terra muttered.

"Yeowch!" Kefka screeched, grabbing his chest. "I'm wooooounded, Terra! What the hell happened to make you so bitchy? I preferred you when you were demure and quiet…it was a lot more fun to watch you lose it." Terra was silent. "What, no comeback for that? Cat got your tongue? Come on!" Terra still didn't reply, and Kefka got a sour look on his face. "COME ON! You've got something to say to me, a lot of things, we both know it! So out with it, spout your stupid hope and love speech so we can get on with the good part already! Spit it out, 'I fight for my friends and I love them, blah blah blah'."

"That's just it," Terra said at last. "I do love them, even if they're gone. And I'm fighting to save them, and all the worlds."

"Here we go, keep going, good start," Kefka nodded, kicking back and reclining in the air, resting his head on his hands. "I've heard most of it before but it still makes me laugh."

"Then the joke is on you. I'm done," Terra said.

"Beg pardon?" Kefka muttered, raising his head and blinking.

"None of that matters to you, so why bother? You don't care about any of it, because you just don't get it," Terra explained. "I've learned a lot travelling through this world. I learned who I really am, what I really want. I learned to come to terms with what I am, both halves of me. But you don't care, and you shouldn't. Because you've done everything you can to make me doubt myself, question my path and my identity. And I know why."

"Enlighten me," Kefka muttered, rolling his eyes.

"You did it because you're afraid of me. Until you had the power of the Warring Triad at your disposal, you were still just a human. But my father was an Esper, and not just any Esper, he was the guardian of their world. By my understanding, that would make me a lot stronger than you. No wonder you have to play your games with me. Because in a straight fight, you know what I'm really capable of, what could happen if my full potential was used."

"This isn't funny anymore," Kefka growled, narrowing his eyes. "Like I said, I preferred you sweet and demure. Change back."

"After all this, I'm done with being your little puppet you can play with," Terra said, feeling stronger with every word. "For so long I held back the Esper because I was afraid of what it could do if I couldn't control it. I held back and rejected my powers, because if they got out of control someone could die. I can't change back, even if I wanted to. But I don't. I'm feeling more powerful than ever before, and I plan to use that power." Terra's body floated into the air, her hair fluttering behind her. "I'm going to kill you a second time, Kefka. And this time, you're going to stay that way."

"So you finally got that killer instinct, good for you!" Kefka snapped, rising into the air opposite her. "It's about time the wimpy little bitch got a spine and stood up straight, only took two fuckin' decades! So…" Kefka held up his hands, a blood-red aura appearing over his arms. "Now that you got a backbone, let's see how long it takes for me to break it, along with a few other choice bones."

"Alright then, Kefka," Terra nodded. Blue energy lit up over her body. "You weren't at Vector so you never saw the true fury of an enraged Esper. I'll give you a first-hand demonstration now."

"Looking forward to it. Now, enough with the boring banter of the opening act." Kefka's face twisted into a cruel sneer, his lips curling up. "Iiiiiiit's _showtime_!"

* * *

"I've been looking forward to finding you," Cloud said, drawing the Buster Sword over his shoulder. "I've been searching a long time."

"For me? Or for the answers you desire?" Sephiroth replied, turning his head to the side. "Is that not why you abandoned your friends to go alone?"

"I left them to discover the truth. And I found it."

"Hmph. Chasing after phantoms and shadows, searching for a false truth. That is what you've found, Cloud. As I suspected, you're just the same as always."

"I'm not going to fall for your head games!" Cloud snapped. "I may have forgotten a lot, but I remember now! I know it was your doing, but its over now. I found Terra, I remember who she is! I looked for my answers and I found them!"

"Every word out of your mouth only serves to prove what a delusional fool you really are," Sephiroth said coldly, turning back to him. "What you've found is nothing but more delusions. Why do you think you insist on fighting alone in the end? Why do you keep looking for answers to questions no one else seems to need to ask? It is because within your heart you already have the answers, and need a reason to bring them to light. The answers, the truths you search for, are nothing more than the attempts of a weak, brittle mind wrapping itself in a cocoon of lies to protect itself from the cruel truth. Your memories of Terra are nothing more than another layer to your shell, and are just as false as the others before it."

"You think I'm going to listen! I know what you're trying to do, and it won't work!"

"Do you? Then allow me to extend an invitation to you." Sephiroth held out his hand. With a small flash of bright green light, a glowing green Materia orb appeared, levitating just an inch above his palm.

"That…that's," Cloud whispered.

"It is the Crystal of our world," Sephiroth finished, lifting his hand to claim the orb from the air. "But to you and I Cloud, it is so much more than that. Do you recognize it? Can you tell me what it means, or do you want me to remind you?" Cloud stared at the Crystal and thought.

"I…" he didn't finish. He did recognize it, yes. He had seen it before…but from where?

"You see, this Crystal was hers," Sephiroth said, looking down at it. "And it was with the power of the spell contained within it that she thwarted me before…but the price she paid to stop me was the greatest price of all. You stood by as she died, helpless to save her, just as you've always been helpless to save anything. You remember that, don't you Cloud?"

"I…I don't know!" Cloud cried, taking a step back. "Stop!"

"I see. Then," Sephiroth said, holding his hand out to the side and turning his arm to hold the Materia aloft. "Allow me to refresh your memory. And pull back the curtain of fantasy to awaken you to the reality you refuse to see." With that, Sephiroth's fingers loosened their hold, and the Crystal fell through the air. Bright blue eyes followed its path down, light gleaming off its surface, as it hit the stone near Sephiroth's feet, letting out a small sound on impact. The small "ting" of the Crystal's impact resonated slightly. Cloud's eyes went wide, his heart beating loudly in his ears.

"_Sorry for what happened."_

"_Don't worry about it."_

"Do you remember, Cloud?" Sephiroth asked, narrowing his eyes. In the air beside him, the Crystal turned in the air. "Can you hear her voice beyond the illusion you crafted?" The Crystal fell on the next stone platform below Sephiroth, bouncing back into the air again. Cloud's heart pounded in his ear as he heard the Crystal fall.

"_I'm the only Cetra left alive…I'm alone."_

"_Hey, that's not true."_

Cloud fell to his hands and knees, his eyes clenched. Flashes of memories and dreams and dreams of memories flitted through his mind. Terra…no, this wasn't…

"The girl you remember as Terra was naught but a lie your own mind made up," Sephiroth said above him. "Made up to replace the true memories you had forgotten." Sephiroth closed his eyes. "Your own mind made my task of breaking you much easier. You deluded yourself better than I ever could have." The Crystal bounced to the next platform, the echo of its impact reverberating in Cloud's ears. Again, and again, even as the Crystal turned in the air, the sound of its landing deafened him. Cloud ducked his head between his arms, letting out a strangled cry.

"_Cloud…"_

Cloud opened his eyes, gasping at what he saw. Sun streamed down from the hole in the rafters above, bathing the flowerbed below in light. The young woman tending to the flowers stilled, and stood up.

"You…"

The woman turned her head, sad green eyes meeting Cloud's. The image flickered as the woman smiled, and vanished.

"_Hello…Cloud."_

Cloud's eyes snapped open at the sound of the Crystal's final impact, landing on the stone in front of him. With a flash the Crystal vanished, reappearing in Sephiroth's palm above him. Cloud gasped for breath and licked his lips. That woman…

"A…Ae…"

"Say it, Cloud," Sephiroth commanded coldly, the Crystal disappearing.

"…Aerith," Cloud gasped out, the name falling like a lead weight from his lips. Sephiroth let out a low chuckle, and Cloud lifted his head to look up at him.

"So how does it feel?" Sephiroth asked, a cruel smile on his face. "I warned you, didn't I? You sought answers to who she was, and all you found was someone else. You created a fantasy world built on lies, and leave it to those around you to show you the truth you cannot accept. That is why you will always seek me out, and the real reason why you hate me, Cloud. Because only I can pull back that curtain and show you who you really are."

"That's not true!" Cloud protested, climbing to his feet. "I sought you out to stop you, to kill you and save my world!"

"What if I hadn't revealed the truth to you now, and let you continue believing the illusion?" Sephiroth asked. "I see past that and more. Deep down you're the same scared child you've always been ever since you left that little village of yours. You seek to be alone because you can't handle being around others. You distance yourself from them and forget about them to create a fantasy world where only you exist. You're too weak to resist your own impulses and desires. That's why you've always needed me to show you the way, because on your own you'd collapse."

"The only reason…" Cloud whispered, reaching down to pick up the Buster Sword, "I've ever forgotten…is because of you!" Cloud held out the Buster Sword, glaring angrily. "My life has been fine, everything I've ever suffered through, everything that tried to ruin that life, has been caused by you! Because you can't rest! Because you have to keep coming back!"

"Because you call me back," Sephiroth said coolly. "You're so eager and willing to pursue me at a moment's notice. Without me, you have no course to pursue. As long as I exist, you have a reason to keep going. It's that simple. You can't help yourself any more than you can help those you care about." Sephiroth closed his eyes and chuckled. "Don't despair, Cloud. When our world is rebuilt in my image, I shall allow you to endure. You will take your place in the same position you always have – the position of my obedient puppet, existing only to serve my whims. And in return I'll give you what you really want, and will erase the memories of those wretched friends and family you always seem to forget. You shall exist alone in a world of my creation, a world of endless illusion. The kind of world you've always wanted."

"Enough!" Cloud roared. "Go ahead! Erase my memories, make me forget! That won't stop me!" Cloud's eyes turned to the side. "Even if I can't remember them…I'll still fight for them. I may have forgotten Aerith's name, but she was still there! You can erase her, Tifa, Zack, everyone, but in the end the shards of what I remember will always be there!" Cloud looked back up at Sephiroth, his eyes narrow. "And as long as I have that, I don't need anything else! I'll keep fighting you until the end, because even if I forget my own name, I'll never forget yours, and what you are! You're right about one thing - as long as you exist, I _will_ keep going!"

"Sephiroth!" Cloud swung the Buster Sword out with one hand, pointing the tip up at the man above him. "I swear, for the sake of everyone! I'm putting you to rest here once and for all!"

"Hmph. Is that so? Are you so sure you can?" Sephiroth replied. He lifted his right arm to his chest. "In that case…let's begin." Sephiroth flung his arm out to the side, his wing snapping out from his shoulder in a burst of violet particles of light and black feathers. Whisps of green energy collected in his left palm, the Masamune appearing in a flash. "Fighting, clinging desperately to fantasy and dreams…pathetic." Sephiroth adjusted his footing, drawing the Masamune back over his shoulder. His wing ruffled, drawing back to cover his shoulder and arm. Cloud drew the Buster Sword back, his hands tightening their grip on the handle.

"Come, Cloud," Sephiroth said, looking down at him with a smile, "Your delusions of victory will be shattered, and the shards of memory crumbling around you shall be the only fragments left of your final fantasy."


	22. The Destined Clash: Cloud vs Sephiroth

Shards of Memory

Chapter 22

The Destined Clash - Cloud vs Sephiroth

"_**Lord have mercy on my enemies, cause I sure as hell won't." **_– George S. Patton

* * *

Cloud leapt up, swinging the Buster Sword over his shoulder. With a smirk, Sephiroth dove down, the Masamune swinging out. The two clashed in a shower of sparks, katana and broadsword clanging loudly. Sephiroth knocked the Buster Sword aside and landed a punch on Cloud's jaw, knocking him back down. Cloud landed on his back on the platform below, and rolled away and to his feet as Sephiroth descended, the Masamune held out. The swing missed, and Sephiroth turned with the momentum, landing on his feet and spinning around. The Masamune cleaved the air, beams of white energy flying out of the blade. Cloud lifted the Buster Sword in front of his body, the energy waves dispersing on the steel. Sephiroth charged forward in their wake. The Masamune hooked over Cloud's sword, the sharpened edge of the blade gleaming in front of Cloud's eyes. With a flick of the wrist, Sephiroth spun around and swung the Masamune forward over his shoulder, sending Cloud through the air.

The air left Cloud's lungs in a rush as he slammed into one of the rocks floating around the area. He clawed at the top with his free hand, trying to pull himself up. Behind him, Sephiroth swung and sent a wave of energy into Cloud's back. Cloud let out a cry and let go, falling into empty air. Cloud turned his head as he fell and stabbed with the Buster Sword, embedding it in the side of a floating rock. Small bits of stone flew past Cloud's face as he hung onto the handle of sword, and he looked down to see the swirling abyss of the Lifestream circling below him.

"Is this all the strength you can muster, Cloud?" Sephiroth asked, appearing on the stone above him. Cloud looked back with a scowl. "I'm disappointed. I'm not nearly as strong as I was during our last encounter, yet you seem to be struggling," Sephiroth lectured. "Perhaps the weight of the torment you've endured at my hands is distracting you."

"The only torment I'm enduring," Cloud growled, a hand letting go of the Buster Sword and coming to his waist. "Is the sound of your voice!" Cloud's hand came up, a bolt of lightning firing out of the Materia orb in his palm. Sephiroth's head jerked back with a cry of surprise, the blast catching him in the face. Cloud planted his feet on the stone and pushed, pulling the Buster Sword out of the stone and flipping through the air to land on a lower platform. Above him Sephiroth leapt up, the Masamune held over his head. Cloud twirled the Buster Sword and slammed his hand onto the blade near the hilt. The Thunder Materia slipped into one of the two holes on the sword, a green sheen lighting up on the blade momentarily as the orb locked into place. Cloud leapt onto a side platform, and without hesitation launched himself further up.

The two warriors locked blades again, sparks of electricity shooting along the Buster Sword's edge. Cloud swung, knocking Sephiroth back and cleaving the Buster Sword down. A green band of energy flew through the air, slamming into Sephiroth's chest. Cloud landed on a platform while Sephiroth spun backwards, righting himself in a flurry of black feathers.

"Is that better!" Cloud shouted, swinging the Buster Sword out. Sephiroth made a face and held up his hand, black tendrils snaking along his arm. Four converged in his palm, wrapping around each other and forming a glowing, deep violet orb of energy.

"Ignorant traitor," Sephiroth sneered, the orb pulsing in his hand. The column of green spirit energy circling them flashed brightly, bands of power lashing out from the sides. Cloud staggered and fell to his knees, looking up at Sephiroth. Silver hair whipped out behind him, green eyes glittering in the light of the Lifestream. "Know your place!" A flurry of bright orange and red meteors erupted out of Sephiroth's hand, curving in the air and flying towards Cloud. Cloud leapt to another floating platform, several meteors slamming into his former perch in his wake. White and gray stone shattered, the rubble falling into the glowing white and green vortex below. Cloud leapt again, landing on a larger platform. He looked up to see Sephiroth diving towards him, Masamune drawn over his shoulder.

Cloud swung up the Buster Sword to intercept the attack, the swords slashing at each other and being deflected. Floating in the air, Sephiroth swung around and brought the katana forward again from behind Cloud. The sudden movement was too fast for Cloud to counter, and he only had time to turn his head as Sephiroth slashed. Steel met flesh and carved through it, a long red band of blood appearing through the tear in his clothing. With a smirk, Sephiroth flipped and slammed a boot into the back of Cloud's head, pitching him forward. Cloud fell through the air, the Buster Sword slipping from his grasp as he fell over the edge of the platform and landed heavily on the central platform below. A few feet in front of him, the Buster Sword clanged to the ground.

Cloud lifted his head and pushed himself to his knees, stumbling to his feet as he scrambled for his weapon. With a wince, he hefted it up and turned to see Sephiroth slowly descend behind him, a few stray feathers falling in his wake. With a loud cry, Cloud charged forward, swinging the Buster Sword. Sparks of electricity flashed again and again as the two clashed, Sephiroth blocking and dodging every blow. The Buster Sword lit up in a bright blue glow, and Cloud jumped back and charged forward. Sephiroth deflected the blow upward, and Cloud leapt up with the motion of the sword, planting his feet on Sephiroth's chest and jumping up, spinning the Buster Sword overhead and cleaving it down. Sephiroth looked up and held up a hand. A flurry of dark energy orbs burst from his palm, circling in the air and swarming around Cloud as he descended. With an explosion of dark energy, Cloud's dive was halted and he was sent flying through the air, rolling backwards and flipped onto his feet on a platform. There was a rush of air behind Cloud's neck, and with a smirk Sephiroth cleaved the Masamune over his back a second time, knocking Cloud forward to a second rock.

"Fighting, struggling so hard," Sephiroth taunted, looking down as Cloud slowly pushed himself to his hands and knees. "What a futile gesture. Accept your fate, Cloud. You fight in vain."

"Shut…up," Cloud said, using the Buster Sword to push himself into a standing position. "I'm not listening…"

"You can't help yourself," Sephiroth lectured, "so how can you expect to help your friends?" At the last word, Sephiroth dove forward, swinging the Masamune from the side. Cloud gasped as the katana slid over his throat, Sephiroth's free hand clutching the hands on the Buster Sword's hilt.

"So ignorant, no naïve…" Sephiroth whispered. "I wonder how hard you would fight if you knew the truth…shall we find out, Cloud?"

"W-what?" Cloud croaked up. The steel against his flesh drew closer as Sephiroth lowered his head to Cloud's ear.

"You believe the Crystals to be the key to restoring your friends and our world…nothing could be further from the truth. Before you die, Cloud, allow me to enlighten you. Face the ultimate truth, and know despair as you realize all you have accomplished means nothing." Sephiroth continued whispering, a smirk on his lips. As he spoke, Cloud's eyes widened, until Sephiroth drew his head back.

"You're lying," Cloud hissed, turning his head slightly to look at Sephiroth.

"Am I?" Sephiroth asked, eyes gleaming darkly. "A pity for you, you'll never have a chance to find out." With that, Sephiroth twisted Cloud's arm, and with a flip tossed him into the air. His wing flexed and he flew up, the Masamune glowing bright violet. Sephiroth swung the katana back and forth through the air, bands of dark purple light in the Masamune's wake as it sliced into Cloud's flesh again and again, bands of red blood appearing on his arms and chest. Sephiroth drew the sword back for a moment, and then swung an eighth time. Cloud lifted the Buster Sword to block the attack, but the force was too great. The Masamune let out a shockwave of energy as it knocked the Buster Sword out of Cloud's grasp, sending the broadsword spinning up through the air to stick into the underside of a floating platform.

Cloud fell to the central platform, landing heavily on his stomach. Blood poured from his wounds, smearing on the stone below. Cloud lifted his head, blood falling down his face from a small cut on his cheek, and once again pushed himself onto his hands and knees. The tears and cuts in his clothing were stained with blood. With a cough and a moan, Cloud slowly crawled to the edge of the platform, his gloves weakly grasping at the stone. He reached one of the dark blue stones lining the edge of the platform, and reached out his hand to pull himself up. There was a sound of movement behind him, and Cloud saw a shadow fall over him.

Cloud's head wrenched back in a shriek of agony as the Masamune burst through his chest, the tip of the blade dripping blood. He shuddered and collapsed on the blue stone, hands hanging over the edge, head lying sideways. Blue eyes focused on the blurring image of Sephiroth behind him, the Masamun's blade gleaming in his grasp. With a sneer, Sephiroth drew his arms back and lifted, hauling Cloud into the air on the sword. Cloud lifted his hands to clutch at the blade's tip, struggling desperately. Feet kicked at empty air, seeking something to push off of and finding nothing.

"She didn't struggle nearly as much as you are," Sephiroth said coldly, stretching out his arm. Cloud looked down as his feet moved forward to hang over the swirling abyss of the Lifestream, blinding white light shining up at him. "You cannot imagine the depths of the hatred I have for you. All of your friends have interfered, but none of them are as persistent or pathetic as you. Aerith at least accepted her death with grace, but you? You've never done anything right your entire life, and now you show you can't even die properly." Sephiroth spun, swinging the Masamune overhead. Cloud flew off the blade's hilt and spun through the air. His hip and arm slammed into a floating stone, knocking him back down to a second. Cloud lay motionless as Sephiroth slowly levitated in front of him, black wing outstretched to its full length.

"I could finish you here," Sephiroth taunted, watching Cloud's arms move weakly. "But you don't deserve death, Cloud. You deserve far worse for the humiliation you've made me endure." Sephiroth reached down and grabbed the collar of Cloud's clothing, hauling him to eye level. "You will remain when our world is remade, my obedient servant to carry forth my will, and my wrath. Your friends will die at your own hand, and then I shall revive them for you to slay again. And then you shall watch as I kill them before your eyes, to be revived again. You will spend an eternity at my side, helpless as you watch them die over and over. And you will come to _beg_ me for the blissful release of your own death. A death that I assure you will never come."

Sephiroth flung Cloud away to a lower rock. Cloud coughed as he landed, blood dripping from his mouth. He reached out with a single hand and pulled himself forward, streaks of red in his wake. Sephiroth jumped down to stand behind him, watching as Cloud slowly crawled away.

"Still trying to fight…still struggling," Sephiroth sneered, carefully running the Masamune's edge along Cloud's back. Cloud pulled himself to the edge of the platform, collapsing with his arms and head hanging off the side, hands swaying. Cloud blinked twice, his vision blurred. "You see? There is nowhere left to run. The long journey ends here." Sephiroth allowed a smile to cross his face. "Farewell, Cloud. Do you have anything to say with the last breath you'll take of your own will?" Cloud's head turned slightly, and his lips moved. "Pardon?" Sephiroth asked. Cloud coughed again, spit out a clot of blood, and lifted bright blue eyes to stare up.

"You…" he whispered, "should have killed me when you had the chance." Sephiroth let out a snort and lifted the Masamune over his head, gripping the handle with both hands and cleaving it down.

As Sephiroth swung, Cloud gritted his teeth and stretched out the arm dangling over the edge of the platform. With a small metallic click as his glove wrapped around the handle, Cloud grabbed the Buster Sword stuck in the bottom of the platform, and pulled. He let out a loud cry, stone shattering as the sword erupted from its place and cracking under his stomach. Cloud spun with the momentum, rising up to his knees and grabbing the Buster Sword's handle with both hands. The Masamune and Buster Sword rang loudly in the air as Cloud intercepted the attack, a shockwave of energy bursting from the contact point. Sephiroth's eyes widened. With a second cry, Cloud knocked the katana aside and swung his fist up, punching Sephiroth in the jaw. Caught off-guard, Sephiroth stumbled back, staring at Cloud in a combination of shock and rage. The stone under Cloud's knees crumbled, and he fell down, flipping in the air to land on his feet on the central platform floating below.

"Impossible," Sephiroth breathed, staring on as Cloud stumbled slightly but remained standing. A shaking hand reached to his waist, pulling out the second Materia orb from his pouch and slamming it into the Buster Sword's second slot. A flash of bright green energy lit up over Cloud as the Cure spell took effect, filling him with new energy. Breathing heavily, Cloud lifted his head to look up at Sephiroth, his face stained with dirt, sweat and blood.

"Always gloating…always mocking…always trying to play with my head, make me doubt myself," Cloud said, his voice growing louder with every word, drawing more energy from them than the Materia in his sword. "One of these days, you'll know better and kill me when you get the chance. But today…that chance is gone! It's over, Sephiroth!" Sephiroth's eyes gleamed, his hand shaking slightly.

"True, I've let you live beyond your time…an error long overdue for correction!" Sephiroth all but snarled, drawing the Masamune over his shoulder and diving down, hair and cloak waving in the air behind him. Cloud closed his eyes and lowered his head. A bright blue-green aura lit up over the Buster Sword, and he hefted it over his head. With two quick twirls of his weapon, Cloud coiled his legs and leapt, wisps of blue energy in his wake. The Masamune glowed deep violet, and Sephiroth swung as the two came close. With a shout, Cloud sliced the air, knocking the sword aside, and with a second slash sent it spinning through the air, vanishing beyond the swirls of the Lifestream surrounding the area. Disarmed, Sephiroth watched as the bright blue and green aura over Cloud's weapon grew brighter.

Cloud slashed over and over, attacking Sephiroth again and again. Sephiroth recoiled with each strike, black feathers flying through the air. Cloud was relentless, swinging the Buster Sword tirelessly, bands of green energy cutting the air in its wake as it cut through Sephiroth. With an upward blow, Cloud knocked Sephiroth backwards and leapt up, holding the Buster Sword both hands. Floating on his back, Sephiroth let out a sharp gasp as the blade lit up in a blinding flash of white, light emanating from the tip. Cloud swung the sword back over his head, blond bangs fluttering.

"This is it!"

Cloud descended, spinning in the air. The Buster Sword cleaved down the length of Sephiroth's body, leaving a glowing white scar in the air and on his clothing. Cloud fell to the central stone platform below, landing in a crouch with the Buster Sword held out in front of him. He held still for a moment, breathing heavily. A single black feathered floated down in front of him, and Cloud looked up. Above him, Sephiroth was hunched over, clutching his chest with a hand. Violet and black smoke rose from his body, his wing losing feathers in a trail through the air as he floated backwards.

"This…is not over…" Sephiroth whispered, glaring down at Cloud. "As long as…the Emperor's plan…" Sephiroth smirked and chuckled lowly. "Remember what I told you, Cloud. Until next we meet…" Sephiroth closed his eyes, his wing stretching out and wrapping around him. With a flash of violet light and a flurry of feathers, the former hero vanished, a single bright white feather emerging from the light and falling into the abyss of the Lifestream. Cloud let out a breath and fell onto his hands and knees. A few sparkles of light drifted into his field of vision. With a flash of green light, a glowing round Materia orb appeared over his head. Cloud looked up and held out a hand.

"The…White Materia…" he said. The Crystal glowed brightly and slowly lowered into his palm. Cloud gripped it tightly and smiled. "Aerith…Tifa…I did it…" Cloud slumped down, curling his arm closer to clutch the Crystal to his body. "I just…" Cloud's eyes darted up to the Buster Sword, and he reached for it, fingers tracing over the two Materia orbs set into the blade near the hilt. "Cure…" Cloud whispered, laying two fingers over the Materia. With a low sigh, Cloud closed his eyes and went limp, the Crystal sliding from his grasp and rolling to lightly knock against the top of his head.

* * *

Terra flew forward, swinging out her arm to send a band of energy towards Kefka. Kefka made a face and leapt into the air, flying over the catwalk overhead. A trail of pointed red fireballs was left behind him, turning whistling through the air like arrows. Terra lifted her hands, projecting a barrier. The fireballs slammed into the barrier and reflected to the sides, exploding against the walls. Terra leapt up to fly after Kefka, blue energy crackling along her arms. Kefka dove down an airshaft, snapping his hands out behind him and sending out four blue orbs swirling towards Terra. Terra narrowed her eyes and projected another barrier over her body, surging forward faster. The four orbs exploded in flashes of light, knocking Terra off-balance slightly as she flew but not harming her.

"Stop running!" Terra called, slowing to a stop as she noticed Kefka was gone. A high-pitched cackle echoed back to her.

"Stop running!" Kefka taunted, crying in falsetto. Terra looked around, trying to decipher where the voice was coming from. The low white lights in this section of the tower dimmed and brightened, pulsing in unison. "Where would be the fun in that?" Terra tried to calm herself and closed her eyes. Concentrating, Terra spread out her senses, trying to see if she could detect Kefka's presence. "This is how it works. I run, you chase, I hurt you, you scream, I laugh, you die. _This isn't complicated_!" Kefka shouted. Terra opened her eyes suddenly, turning to the left and holding out her hands. Kefka emerged from the shadows, arms held back with orbs of flame in his grasp.

A large shard of ice fired from Terra's palms as Kefka flung his fireballs towards her. The projectiles slammed together, the ice shard melting and diffusing the fireballs. Terra flew forward, slashing her claws through the air. Kefka dropped down, snapping his hand up and sending a jolt of lightning at her. Terra let out a scream as she was hit, doubling over as Kefka laughed and flew away. With a scowl, Terra dove down and followed. Kefka turned as she chased him, waving his hands back and forth to send out another flurry of exploding blue orbs. Terra dodged the spells narrowly, gaining speed. The metal catwalks and glass capsules of the factory opened into an open area, white spotlights shining on the ground. Terra stopped in the air and looked around. Tall spires of dirt rose around her, red smoke billowing from them, glowing yellow stars of energy circling them in random formations. Kefka had led her out to the tower's summit.

"Enjoy the view, gonna be the last thing you ever see!" Kefka called, flying up and circling one of the spires of dirt. "Ya know what they say, go out with a smile!"

"That shouldn't be a problem for you!" Terra shot back, floating up. Kefka circled back around one of the spires, a sneer on his face and an orb of golden light in his palm. With a cry, Kefka fired a beam of light at Terra. Terra dodged, the light piercing a lower section of the tower and exploding violently. Terra lifted her hands and fired a large blast of pure magic at Kefka. Kefka dodged to the side with a scowl. The spire near him shook slightly and collapsed, dirt and steel rubble falling to the lower sections of the tower. A jagged, broken pipe end emerged from the spire's base, spewing dark red smoke into the air. Terra turned her head and flung her arm out, sending a band of energy out. Two more spires were severed, more red smoke filling the air. Kefka watched the two spires fall, then turned back to Terra. In her place, a cloud of crimson smoke filled the air.

"Hey!" Kefka snapped, spinning in place. Terra had vanished into the increasingly large field of red. "This isn't fun!" Kefka said, thrashing his arms. "Hey! HEY!" Kefka flung out his hands, randomly launching orbs of fire and ice through the smoke. "Come on out!"

"What's wrong?" Terra's voice whispered from the smoke. Kefka turned at the sound. "Is it only funny when you do it?"

"Exactly!" Kefka snarled. "Stop hiding and get out here so I can destroy you!" There was a rush of air, and Kefka had only enough time to lift an eyebrow before Terra slashed her claws down his back, tearing his cloak to ribbons and gouging four deep gashes in his skin. Kefka let out a shrill shriek and fell forward, landing on a platform at the base of a spire and rolling head over heels. He skidded to a stop and whipped his head up. As Terra watched, Kefka pushed himself to his feet, his cape bearing four slashes down the middle. He growled and reached a hand around to gingerly touch the four wounds Terra had given.

"Alright…alright," Kefka said lowly. "Fine, okay…you wanna play huh?" Kefka stretched out his hands in front of him and cracked his knuckles. "Okay, you violent little brat…" Kefka lifted his head to look up at Terra, grinning maniacally. "Let's _play!_" Kefka jumped out and flung out a flurry of fireballs. Terra lifted a barrier and dove down, one hand projecting the barrier while the other charged an orb of white light. Terra pulled up as Kefka dove after her, flinging out five orbs of pure energy. The orbs slammed into Kefka's back, knocking him into the ground. His white and red make-up smeared with dirt, Kefka looked up at Terra, licking his lips.

"You're starting to piss me off!" he screeched. Kefka snapped up his hands, sending a blast of pure magical energy upward, orange shockwaves appearing in the air behind it. Terra moved to the side, when the orb suddenly changed course and picked up speed. She was hit full in the chest, flipping backwards through the air through a cloud of crimson smoke and hitting the back of a spire. Terra coughed as some dirt rained onto her head. There was a dark chuckle, and she tilted her head up. Kefka rose up from behind one of the broken spires in front of her, a bright red aura covering his body. Terra slammed her claws into the rock behind her and pushed off, launching herself towards him. Kefka lashed out a hand, sending a blue pulse of magic out. Terra flew over it, flipping forward and grabbing the edge of the pipe. Kefka flung out another blast of magic, and Terra flipped over it, somersaulting over Kefka's head and raking her claws down his back. Kefka let out another scream and dropped to his feet as Terra continued her attack, turning as she fell behind him and slashing at the back of Kefka's legs.

With a cry of surprise, Kefka stumbled forward and pitched into the entrance of the pipe in front of him. Terra's head snapped up at the sounds echoing up the pipe – a mixture of a scream and a cackle. The sounds died down slowly, and with a long creak, the smoke pouring from the pipe ceased. Terra hovered over the edge, looking down. The pipe's inside quickly became shadowed, allowing virtually no visibility. Terra waited, but the only sounds were her own breathing and the dull, steady clanking of machinery from inside the tower.

"I did it…" Terra breathed, descending and landing. "The Crystal…where-"

There was a muffled explosion, and Terra's head whirled around, purple and pink hair dancing along her back. With a blast of red smoke and magical energy, a pair of metal doors farther down the tower exploded. Breathing heavily, Kefka stumbled out of the doors, head held down. He took a few steps out of the tower and stood up straight. With a loud snarl of rage, his clothing tore, four bright lavender wings bursting from his back in a flurry of feathers. Beneath them sprouted two smaller, dark purple wings. The ruins of Kefka's robes fell to the ground around him, leaving him bare save for the torn remnants of his cloak wrapped around his waist. Kefka turned and flew into the air, wings flapping furiously.

"I'M GONNA KILL YOU, YOU VIOLENT LITTLE BITCH!" Kefka screeched, eyes bulging. Two rays of golden light shot out of his palms. Terra flew about, narrowly dodging the assault. Beams of energy lanced into the tower around her, missing her by inches as Kefka flew after her. "Run run, or you'll be well done!" A spire pouring smoke into the air exploded as Terra flew around it, rubble flying through the air. Kefka's berserk onslaught continued, firing beams of light randomly now. Terra stopped behind a still standing spire, panting. "What's wrong!" Kefka shouted, charging up a larger orb of power. "I thought we were _having fun_! The last time I had this much fun was burning that pathetic little hamlet Mobliz! Just wish now I'd thought to go back and take a second sweep to make sure I didn't miss the little brats the first time. Might have saved me a big pain in the ass!"

Terra's breath caught, her eyes wide. The spire behind her shattered, and Terra turned her head to see Kefka floating in the air behind her. Terra had a flash of revelation, and it sickened her. Kefka's make-up was nearly gone, run off in the course of their fighting, only a few patches of white and red left around his eyes. With his normal face showing for the first time she could recall, Terra got a good look at what Kefka looked like under the clownish façade. For a moment, Terra thought that in another life, the man might have been considered handsome. She pushed away the repulsive thought quickly. It was easy, considering that the face in question was drawn back in a sinister leer.

"Peek-a-boo," Kefka snickered, drawing back a hand and summoning an orb of light. "Time to die!" Kefka snapped his hand forward, when Terra lunged up at him. Yellow claws wrapped around Kefka's hand, blue eyes blazing. "Now now, don't make this harder than it has to be!" Kefka sneered, conjuring another orb in his other hand. Terra's claw seized his wrist, the nails digging into the skin. Blue energy lit up Terra's arms. Kefka looked at her with a scowl. "It was more fun when you were running!"

"No," Terra whispered, narrowing her eyes. "No more running." Terra twisted, seizing Kefka's hand and flinging him through the air. With a cry, Terra brought her hands together and shot a large shard of ice into Kefka's chest, knocking him further back. She closed her eyes and spun, sparks of electricity gathering along her arms.

_ "Mobliz…my friends…my family…I'll protect all of them."_

"I can protect _everything!_" Terra stopped spinning and raised her arms over her head. Kefka turned in the air slowly, his grin vanishing as Terra came into view. With a shriek, Terra flung out her arms, white blades of energy slicing the air. Kefka made a face, his wings drooping.

"Oh _fuck._"

The blades slammed into Kefka, blowing his wings and robe out behind him. With a scream, Kefka's head snapped back, feathers being torn away. The white bands flew past him, spread out and circled back around, bombarding him from all directions. Kefka's body was consumed in an explosion of pure energy, Terra watching from the air a distance away. The smoke cleared to reveal Kefka hanging limply in the air, slumped over. He was breathing heavily, his eyes half-opened. He looked up and pointed at Terra, licking his lips. Wisps of purple and black smoke began to rise up from his body. Kefka looked at the arm being held out and gasped, shaking his head.

"No…no no no no no," he moaned, bringing his other hand up to see the same dissolution happening. "No way, not yet! Come on! I was just getting into it!" he protested, tilting his head up to look at Terra, his mouth hanging open. She floated closer as Kefka's wings began to dissolve in particles of red and violet energy. "Not now…" he muttered, holding his arms up to the side, looking between them in horror. "This…this…this _bites_!"

"It's over, Kefka," Terra whispered. Kefka let out a small chuckle as his wings finished vanishing, the energy particles now coming from his body.

"No kidding," he replied, letting his head drop back down. "Heh…heh heh heh…well…if I gotta go…" Kefka's body began to fade away, turning transparent. His shoulders shook, and he let out a cackle. "I'm going out with a bang!" Kefka drew his hands back, a large orb of gold light appearing over his head. Terra turned and flew away as Kefka flung his arms out. The golden orb flashed, blinked, and vanished in a puff of smoke. Terra stopped and turned back as Kefka made a face. "Damn…" he muttered, his arms falling to the side. "Well…was worth a shot!" With a flash of light, Kefka vanished, a final few light orbs floating away to the sound of his last laugh. Terra lifted her head to watch them float away for a moment before they too vanished.

"I did it," she whispered. "I beat him…alone…" There was a rush of wind, and Terra looked around. The flow of smoke from the tower spires had subsided. The remaining clouds of red smoke hanging in the air began to swirl, condensing together in front of Terra. As she watched, the vortex flashed bright red, and a beam of bright red light shone up into the sky. When the light died down, the red smoke had vanished, allowing the sun overhead to shine through over the tower. Hovering in the air in front of Terra was a small red and black stone.

"The Crystal!" she cried. The stone floated towards her, and Terra cupped her hands and held them out. The Crystal levitated over her hands, and Terra closed her eyes. A powerful voice reverberated from inside the Crystal, echoing in her mind.

"_Well done, my daughter."_

_

* * *

_Terra opened her eyes to the once familiar black void she had once entered liberally when speaking telepathically to other Espers. In front of her stood her father, Maduin. Terra had seen him many times in the past in this place. He had always been an intimidating presence to her. Long silver-green hair, piercing yellow eyes, darkly tanned skin and a muscular body clad only in a purple loincloth with a sash looping over the right shoulder – Maduin was about as "human" as Espers came, and that was saying quite a bit. He was slightly taller than normal humans though, dwarfing all of Terra's friends by at least a foot. As she always did in this place of thoughts, Terra appeared to her father in her Esper form.

"_You have thwarted Kefka a second time," _Maduin said. _"It pained me to watch you fight alone, as it pained me to have my hand forced into serving his. I am sorry."_

_"Don't be,"_ Terra replied, shaking her head. _"I came to terms with myself in a way I never had under your guidance. I understand, now. And I'm not nearly as afraid as I once was…"_ Terra lifted a hand to her chest. _"I controlled it fully without your help. Even if I couldn't change back."_

_"The change was irreversible only because you willed it to be so forcefully,"_ Maduin said. _"You called upon too much energy too quickly, and with no outlet your powers festered. Your battle with Kefka, even if you were not to find my Magicite now, would have allowed you to turn back with your powers exhausted." _Maduin reached up to finger the small red pendant around his neck. _"The blood of generations of Esper gatekeepers flows through you, Terra. And nothing, not even the loss of your powers and the Warring Triad, will change that. Magic or no, you have and will always be capable of extraordinary things."_

_ "Thank you…now is the time to prove it too," _Terra replied. _"We're not done this war yet."_

_"Indeed. Chaos awaits. I shall be there to guide you." _Maduin held out a hand, and Terra placed hers over it. _"I shall lend you my power, though I doubt you will need it. Terra…my daughter…know that even in oblivion, my spirit shall always endure, and will always be watching. When the time comes to combine the power of the Crystals, call upon their strength as your own. Together, the ten Crystals shall bind Chaos and seal his powers. When the God of Discord is brought to his knees, use the light within you to destroy him once and for all!"_

_ "I will…together, the ten of us united…Chaos _will_ be defeated."_

_

* * *

_Terra opened her eyes, the void of space rushing away. She looked down at the Crystal in her hands, then at herself. Though she was floating in the air, she was human again, her sword and cloak and dress back as she remembered. Terra reached up and fingered one of her bangs – pale blond. With a smile, Terra looked down at the Crystal, then lower to the red pendant hanging around her neck.

"Thank you, father," she whispered. With a red flash, the Crystal projected a beam of energy ou. The beam split into two and traced an oval in the air below. A glowing green portal appeared rippling in the air below on a small walkway, and the Crystal began to dissolve into particles of bright red energy. Terra watched as they flowed into the pendant around her neck. When they had finished, the pendant flashed scarlet for a moment, light gleaming off its surface, then went back to its normal dark red color. Terra nodded and lowered her arms. Trusting the Crystal, she floated down to land on solid ground and pushed through the portal. She fell slightly upon exiting, landing on her feet. Terra looked around and gasped. "Cloud!" Terra ran up and knelt beside him.

"H-how'd you get here?" Cloud muttered, looking up at her with a single open eye. Terra draped an arm over her shoulders and stood, bringing Cloud to his feet.

"The Crystal," she said. "Kefka is gone."

"Good," Cloud nodded, bringing up his hand to show her the Materia orb in his grasp. "I got mine, too."

"We did it," Terra whispered, smiling. "We beat them. It's almost over, Cloud! We can go home soon."

"Great," he said, turning his head to spit, blood dribbling on his lip slightly.

"Here," Terra said, holding her hands over his chest. Cloud looked down at her, her hands glowing blue. New strength filled his body, his wounds glowing and closing on his back and limbs.

"Thanks," Cloud muttered. "Not gonna do the full job though…I could use some normal rest."

"Yes," Terra agreed. "We have to…" she stopped, realizing she didn't know how to finish her sentence. "Cloud?"

"Yeah?" he said, taking his arms from her shoulders to stand on his own.

"Where do we go now?" Terra asked. Cloud thought, reaching down to pick up the Buster Sword.

"We have to find Cosmos," he answered. "But I don't know where she could be."

"Me neither," Terra said, looking away. "How do we find her?" A flash of light caught their eyes, and they looked down. Cloud held the Crystal in his hands up, bright green light pulsing inside it.

"You know, don't you?" he whispered, focusing on the low hum coming from it. "Yeah…let's go." Cloud stepped towards the portal.

"You know where to go?" Terra repeated.

"Nope," Cloud shook his head and stopped. "But we'll find her. The Crystal knows the way. Trust me."

"Okay…let's go." Terra nodded, stepping past him. Cloud looked down at the Crystal again, the green glow a bit less bright than a moment ago.

_"I thought…I could almost hear you," _he thought, half-expecting the Crystal to answer him. It didn't. _"If you're there…you'd know the way, wouldn't you? Somehow you always knew where to go…" _Cloud lifted his head and tucked the Crystal into the pouch on his waist, followed by extracting and stowing away the two orbs in the Buster Sword's blade. _"Alright then." _Cloud returned the sword to his back. _"Lead on."_

_

* * *

_Blue eyes darted to the side at the flash of red in the corner of his eyes. His two companions jumped to their feet and ran to the edge of the cliff, one of them letting out a low whistle.

"Look at that!" he said. The man sitting against the cliff face rose to his feet, grabbing his weapon and swinging it to rest on his shoulders. A large column of red light was visible on the horizon, stretching into the air from beyond a mountain range.

"What do you think is it?" the second asked, turning to him as he walked up behind them. The man was silent, and the asker turned back to the column of light.

"Maybe someone else got their Crystal!" the first cheered. The man turned and walked away into the cave mouth behind them. "H-hey!" the two turned as he walked. "Where are you going?"

"To find out what that was," came the muttered reply. The second turned to grab his weapons from the ground as the other chased after him.

"Wait for us!"


	23. Preparations

Shards of Memory

Chapter 23

Preparations

**_"It takes a great deal of courage to stand up to your enemies; but a great deal more to stand up to your friends." - _**Albus Dumbledore

* * *

Garland drummed his fingers absentmindedly on the armrest of the Chaos Shrine's throne, his sword leaning against the wall beside him. His other hand was clenched into a fist as he leaned his head against it.

"I'm awaiting an answer," Mateus said, standing at the bottom of the ramp before him. Garland didn't respond, his fingers still drumming steadily. He finally lifted his head, and his fingers stilled.

"You are aware of what this could mean for us," Garland asked.

"Why else would I attempt it?" the emperor replied with a small smile. "How long has this cycle gone on, Garland? How long have the forces of discord struggled in vain, squandering their second chances for domination? Now at last, I shall be the author of this tale's end. The fantasy shall reach its final conclusion, and the cycle of war will be broken."

"You think yourself able to succeed where countless before you have failed?" Garland asked. "You would deign to play the game of the gods and expect to win?"

"Why not?" Mateus said. "Nothing is eternal, Garland. Not even the gods. Sooner or later everything must reach its end, and this cycle is no exception."

"You should have informed me of this earlier," Garland said, standing up. "Once again you overstep your bounds and this time it will be costly. How do you expect Chaos will react when he learns of this?"

"My bounds lay wherever I decide they lay," the emperor sneered. "As for Chaos, you can inform the god of discord that if my gambit succeeds, this war will end in his favor, and eternal domination over the worlds will be his just as he has always desired. I think he shall take the news rather well, all things considered."

_"You underestimate Chaos," _Garland thought. He didn't voice his doubts, opting instead to change the subject. "Where are our two remaining comrades?"

"You mean Golbez and Jecht?" Mateus chuckled. "What does it matter? The pawns have played their part, there is nothing more for them now. Let them do what they will, regardless of what they wish their actions are irrelevant. The coming end cannot be changed now. The dawn of a new world will soon be upon us."

"And your allies? What parts have you set down for them?" Garland asked.

"Well…all new worlds need rulers. For their compliance, they may take their places at my side as my loyal lieutenants, free to reign over their own respective kingdoms if they so wish." Mateus smiled. "Surely you can see now Garland, the true master of this war. Who else but I could have orchestrated such an elegant end to the fantasy? And thus, is it not fitting that I take my place as master among you? Will you deny that I have succeeded where all others have failed, yourself included?"

"That remains to be seen, Mateus. This war is not over yet," Garland said lowly, walking down the ramp towards him. "The chains of time are not easily severed, and the divine dragon's will is that they remain intact. Do not let your arrogance blind you."

"Oh please. What complications are left to stand in my way?" Mateus said. "The only variable that remains is you, Garland." The knight stopped in front of the emperor as Mateus turned to look away from him. "What will become of you when this cycle is ended? Where does the knight bred for destruction go when there is none left to be had?" Mateus tossed Garland a glance out of the corner of his eye. "Why not swear fealty to me? Cast off the shackles of Chaos and side with my new empire instead. I promise you, it will be far more glorious and powerful than any transitory rule he could establish."

"Is that so?" Garland asked. "Hmph. I think not." The knight walked past the emperor, Mateus turning his head to watch as Garland approached the doors of the Chaos Shrine. "You're far too foolhardy to usurp Chaos as my master. You are less a god than a fool, Mateus. And by the time you realize this, your downfall will moments away." Garland lifted a hand, the doors of the Chaos Shrine creaking open, a dark violet vortex appearing behind them. Garland stepped into the portal without another word, the doors slowly shutting behind him. Mateus snorted and turned to walk towards the throne of the shrine.

"How pathetic. Meaningless barking from an orphaned dog," the emperor sneered, raising his staff. Sparks of red and purple lightning gathered along its length, collecting at the tip and firing onto the throne. With a pulse, the throne turned dark purple, wicked sets of jaws forming from the ends of the armrests. The backing of the throne grew higher along the wall, a large face appearing on it, six horns sprouting into the air and curving out and forward. Shards of narrow blue crystal erupted from the sides of the throne, razor-sharp tips stabbing the air. Mateus turned and sat down on the demonic throne, his staff floating in the air beside him.

"No matter. Even without Garland, the plan cannot be derailed now," the emperor declared, leaning to the side and resting his head on his fist. "This war's ultimate victor has been decided since the moment I was chosen to serve Chaos. And now I need only wait and collect the spoils."

* * *

Terra sucked in a breath, closed her eyes, and dove off the rock. Cold sensation rushed up the length of her body in an instant, the fine hairs on the back of her neck tingling. Terra opened her eyes to see a swarm of bubbles rising before her eyes, a few stray locks of pale blond hair floating at the top of her field of vision. Terra focused and held out her arms. The blue aura that rippled over her arms was nearly impossible to see under the water, but she felt it. The aura flashed red for a moment, and then expanded. Terra let out a long breath as a bubble of air formed around her, the barrier between her and the water glowing blue and red. Terra's hair fell to her scalp, a few strands sticking to her forehead and dripping water over her eyes and nose.

"_I've never had control like this,_" she thought, lifting her head to look at the top of the water overhead. _"Is it my doing, or the Crystal's?" _Terra took a breath and reached out a hand to tap the side of the barrier. It rippled and slowly parted, water gushing in as the barrier receded. Terra kicked her legs and surfaced, water droplets flying through the air. She floated silently, watching the waterfall crashing down the cliff at one end of the lake. At the other end the lake narrowed into a river and continued on into a forest. Somewhere Cloud was patrolling for anything to eat, and feeling out where to go next, or so he said. He had bathed here earlier while Terra stood guard, then dressed and went into the forest while she took her turn.

"_I feel like I can fight again, _really _fight now."_ Terra sank a bit deeper into the water, until her chin just barely touched the surface. Beneath the water she lifted a hand to her neck and fingered the red pendant there, the chain swaying slightly. The battle with Chaos was close, a foe unlike anything Terra had seen before. She would need to put her full potential to use like never before, and that would mean transforming again. Terra knew she could likely control the change at will, as she had been able to in the past when she had her father's Magicite to help her. And Maduin was with her again now, even if in another form, and she had much more confidence and a better understanding of her abilities.

"Before we fight, we need to find Cosmos, though," Terra said aloud, turning and swimming to the shore. The bare outcropping of rock she had dived off of had her clothes neatly folded and placed aside. Looking around to make sure Cloud wasn't in sight, Terra stepped onto the grass and closed her eyes. A warm wind whipped up behind her, her hair dancing in its path. Within moments the young woman was dry. With a slight sigh, Terra stepped onto the rock and reached out to grab her dress, lifting it over her head. Now that she was done she could find Cloud and they could get back to looking for the goddess.

"I hope he's okay," Terra murmured, grabbing her tights. Cloud had been silent ever since they had left Kefka's Tower yesterday, saying even less to her than he usually did. Terra hated to think that after all they had been through there was still yet another secret between them, but that seemed to be the case. She caught him looking off into space, and when he wasn't looking at nothing, he was looking at her. Terra knew they had had their moments when they had both been like that, but it was crossing from frustrating into infuriating.

_"I was afraid of my powers,"_ she thought, pulling her gloves on and flexing her fingers. She had kept her true nature from him for his protection and hers, to keep him from asking questions she couldn't or didn't want to answer, and to avoid worrying him if she were to lose control "So, is that his excuse too? If it is, it isn't much of one anymore. I'm not afraid of him, and he should know that I trust him enough to believe what he'll tell me."

The pendant around Terra's neck let out a small flash of red light, drawing her attention down. The power of the Crystal within the pendant whispered to her. Terra brought her hand up and placed her fingertips over the pendant, focusing on understanding what it was telling her. It was slightly warm under her touch, letting out a soft vibration.

"Something's coming," she whispered, growing concerned. Terra lifted her head to the forest around her, stretching out her powers to see if there was anything within her range of sensing. There was nothing that she could feel, but the Crystal's power was definitely reacting to something. Terra lowered her arm and focused on the distant but strong presence of a familiar aura of power. With a breath, she stepped towards the shallow part of the river to cross it and find Cloud.

* * *

"How could this have happened?" Cloud muttered. The young man was slumped against a tree on a hill at the edge of the forest, looking down on a grassy field. His arms were flung over his knees, the Buster Sword against the bark beside him. "How did I forget this much?" Cloud closed his eyes and mentally replayed the events again, trying to examine the minor details he had once never given any thought to. His memories had come back when Sephiroth had shown him the White Materia. Cloud didn't know if it was because Sephiroth had willed it, or if the sight had just jogged his memory. He was hoping for the latter, the thought that he was somehow indebted to Sephiroth was almost nauseating.

"_This is how it'll always be, isn't it?" _Cloud thought, his face darkening. _"No matter how hard I try he still manages to manipulate me, to push my buttons in just the right way…"_

"No!" Cloud shook his head vigorously. "That's the same kind of trash talk he's always spewing, it isn't true!"

"_Isn't it?"_ the voice in the back of Cloud's head prodded. _"He tells you those things because it _is_ true, and part of the reason that its true is because he's saying it. You let him goad you, taunt you. He pushes your buttons because you let him, and reminding you of that is just another button to him. He'd claim he manipulated you to do anything even if he hadn't, because he knows how you'll react."_

"I'm not his pawn anymore," Cloud grated. "I'm different now, whatever ties I had to him are gone."

_"And yet he was still able to erase your memories and control you. As long as Sephiroth's genes lie dormant within you, you'll always be vulnerable to his whims."_

"That…no…" Cloud whispered, lowering his head. "It isn't true…it just can't be…" Cloud brought a hand up to clutch the fabric of his skirt, the cloth bunching up in his grasp. With a slight glare, Cloud stared down his collar at the darkened skin of his chest.

_"The same spot,"_ he said to himself. Terra had healed him and the wounds were gone, but he remembered the pain of Sephiroth impaling him very well. The same spot where he had been impaled years ago when he handed the hero his first defeat and hurled him into the pool of Mako in the depths of Mt. Nibel. The same spot where he had held him aloft, gloating before throwing him into the air atop the ruins of the Shinra Building.

_"Is this the pain you felt before, Cloud? Let me remind you. This time you won't forget."_

"Like I could even if I wanted to," Cloud said, smiling bitterly as Sephiroth's words from their last battle echoed in his head. _"The same spot all three times…literally carving old wounds back open. I wonder if he does it on purpose…what am I thinking? Of course he does. Everything Sephiroth does is on purpose."_

"Cloud!" Cloud made a sound and stood, turning to see Terra running out from the forest.

"What's up?" Cloud asked, pushing aside his silent conversation with himself.

"Is your Crystal sensing anything?" Terra asked. Cloud turned his head and reached into the pouch on his waist. His hand emerged a moment later clutching his Crystal, light gleaming off its surface. "Does it feel like it is…worried?" Terra continued.

"No, but I'm not sure how I'm supposed to tell how it feels like anything," Cloud said, feeling awkward. He didn't have the same type of spiritual abilities Aerith did, he had never felt anything from Materia from the same pulses of magic everyone felt. Nothing like emotion or words had ever come to him while holding a shard.

"Let me see it," Terra said, offering her hand. Cloud passed her the Crystal, and Terra took it in her hands, clasping it between her palms and bowing her head. Cloud tensed at the familiar pose as Terra focused on the orb. "I guess not," she mused, lifting her head after a moment. "That's strange, when I was bathing I felt my Crystal warn me about something."

"And mine isn't sensing anything?"

"No…" Terra sighed, looking back down at it, slightly confused. "But, maybe my father just disagree with the spirit of this Crystal. I guess even as spirits they're still individuals."

"Spirit?" Cloud asked, a question springing up in the back of his mind.

"In my world my Crystal is a Magicite shard, with my father's spirit resting inside it," Terra explained, holding out the Crystal. "There's a spirit connected to your Crystal too. I'm not sure who it is though. It isn't a direct presence like my father's, but I can feel a definite connection."

"Oh," Cloud muttered, taking the Crystal from Terra. He looked down at the Crystal, narrowed his eyes slightly and stepped forward. "Come on, let's get moving." Cloud grabbed the Buster Sword from beside the tree and turned to step into the field, swinging the broadsword over his shoulder. Terra watched him go, not moving to follow, as she processed what had just happened. Within a second of the suspicion blooming in her mind, she was voicing it.

"You know who it is," she whispered. Cloud stopped but didn't respond. "You know who it is," Terra repeated, voicing the phrase aloud a second time to confirm it as true. "Who is it?"

"It isn't important," Cloud said. "Yeah, I've got an idea who, but it doesn't matter."

"Then tell me," Terra insisted, running up beside him. "If it isn't important then why keep it secret?" Cloud didn't respond, mentally debating if she needed to know or not. He couldn't think of a good reason not to, explaining who Aerith was to her would give them both closure on his fragmented memories. Plus, Cloud wanted to talk about her aloud, just to be sure he had really remembered her, and in case it was only a momentary lapse before he forgot again. He lifted the Crystal slightly, looking down at it, and let out a breath.

"She…her name is Aerith," he whispered, turning around. "She was…a friend."

"It isn't that simple, is it?" Terra asked, hearing the unspoken words. Cloud made a slight face. He had spent hours pondering his feelings for the two women in his life, made only more complex by his turbulent memories and personality traits which may or may not have been who he really was. Terra didn't need to know about that, partially because she wouldn't understand due to the fact he didn't fully understand it either.

"No, it isn't," he said simply, choosing to leave it at that. "Aerith was part of our group as we followed Sephiroth around the planet. She was one of the core members, she had a connection to the planet the rest of us never understood. She was one of the most amazing women I've ever met, and that's not counting her powers." Cloud's throat tightened as he remembered his final conversation with her. "When Sephiroth got the Black Materia to call Meteor, he took control of me and made me attack her. I fell unconscious after that. I had a dream, Aerith said she had to go stop Sephiroth. But it wasn't a dream. She was telling me she had to go. When I woke up, she had left to go on her own." Cloud got a distant look in his eyes. That had been the last time they had spoken before she died. Thinking back, he had wished many times he could go back and say more to her than he did.

"I wonder sometimes, if she knew back then…she went off to call Holy in order to stop Meteor. I think maybe, deep down…she knew…"

"She's the one," Terra said, realizing just why Cloud was reluctant to explain Aerith to her. "She's the one Sephiroth made you forget about, the one that I…" Terra trailed off, unsure of how to finish the sentence. 'Replaced' seemed too harsh. Cloud simply nodded.

"When we got to the northern crater, we found Sephiroth. He was…changed. Stronger than ever." Cloud clenched his eyes shut, willing away the vision of horror the former SOLDIER had become in the depths of the planet's core. "We killed him and released Holy, but it was too late to stop Meteor from striking the planet. Holy wasn't strong enough to destroy it alone, it was just too close to the planet, Holy couldn't focus its energies properly. But Aerith, she came to our rescue a second time. She called upon the Lifestream to push back Meteor, to give Holy the space it needed to focus and destroy it. Together, her Holy and the spirits of the Lifestream destroyed Sephiroth's Meteor." Cloud smiled sadly, lifting his head to look at the sky. "She did more to save the planet on that single day than anyone else ever has."

"Somehow I think she would disagree with you," Terra said softly.

"Yeah, probably…" Cloud looked down at the White Materia. "All Materia orbs are bound to some sort of spell or other magical ability. This is the White Materia, it's the only one of its kind. This is the Materia to call Holy, the ultimate white magic. The Cetra passed it down among themselves for years, waiting for the day the planet was ever in so much danger that they would need to risk using it in order to save themselves."

"Risk using it?" Terra asked.

"Holy cleanses the planet of anything threatening the balance of the Lifestream. But I told you about Shinra draining the Lifestream to refine into Mako," Cloud explained. "As people started to expand more and drain the planet of its resources, there was the risk that Holy would see humans as a threat and wipe them out along with Meteor. When the Lifestream emerged that day to help Holy destroy Meteor and spared us, people took it as a sign from some higher power that we had been given a second chance to turn ourselves around. For all our flaws and sins, we got to keep living."

"What was she like?" Terra asked suddenly, having an idea of what sort of answer to expect. Cloud thought for a moment.

"She was kind, gentle, compassionate. But she wasn't afraid to speak her mind, and she didn't back down from anyone or anything." Cloud let out a soft chuckle as he remembered one of the first memories that Terra had appeared in, during their visit to Cosmos Canyon when Aerith had argued with the innkeeper over the fee. "And when she wanted, she could be damn stubborn. Direct too."

"I see," Terra mused, lowering her eyes slightly to the Crystal in Cloud's hand. Now that she knew the truth, part of her was itching to ask Cloud the finer details of this Aerith woman. Selfishly, to appease her curiosity, she wanted to know just how similar she was to her, that Cloud could envision her in Aerith's place. She wasn't sure how she felt about that, even now that she had been thinking about it for some time. Now, considering how little she really knew about Aerith, it could be either a compliment or an insult that Cloud could confuse the two of them. But it didn't sound like the latter, not the way he described her. She recognized the signs of affection from watching Locke and Celes. There had been something between Cloud and Aerith, but he had pointedly avoided explaining what. She wouldn't push the matter, not unless Cloud brought it up again. She had no right to go digging through his painful personal life to answer her own questions.

"I think she would have liked you," Cloud said suddenly. The two met eyes, and Terra wondered if somehow Cloud had read her mind. "You're different from her, very different. But you would have been friends, I think."

"She sounds nice," Terra nodded, smiling. "Tell her about me when you get back to your world, see what she thinks about all this." Cloud's relatively upbeat demeanor collapsed.

"Would if I could," he said sadly, looking away. "She died."

"Oh…I'm sorry," Terra whispered, "I didn't know, I thought…sorry." Cloud didn't hear her.

"When she went off to call Holy…she went to the Forgotten City to pray. We found her…at the temple under the city." Terra lifted a hand to her mouth as she remembered the place Cloud was describing. "Sephiroth took control of me when we found her, to try and make me kill her. I resisted, so he kept me paralyzed only a few feet in front of her as he impaled her. He killed her in a split second and left her to collapse forward into my arms. She didn't even get a chance to say anything, or…" Cloud stopped himself, choking up. He had learned to move on and let go of his guilt, but letting go did nothing to change the fact he had stood by helpless and watched two of his closest friends die in front of him.

"I didn't mean to bring up bad memories," Terra said, now feeling bad.

"With precious few exceptions, that pretty much describes the bulk of mine," Cloud replied, slipping the Crystal back into his pouch. "Fate seems to get a real kick out of making me watch as the people I care about die around me." Terra bit her lip, and slowly stepped forward. Cloud let out a sharp cry of surprise as she wrapped her arms around him, embracing him. He tensed at the unfamiliar contact, but relaxed a moment later.

"I'm sorry," Terra whispered.

"Don't be, it isn't your fault. I've lived almost five years with those feelings, I've learned to deal with them and move on. It isn't always easy, but it's the only way."

"I know the feeling," Terra said. Their burdens were different, but they both knew how heavily they could weigh. Her decision to avoid Kefka while the world rotted, her foolish desire to be rid of her powers, they and more had been shadows haunting her heart for years. Cloud slowly brought a hand up to Terra's shoulder blade.

"Terra…"

There was a pulse, and Terra pulled back, the pendant around her neck flashing red. There was a crash behind them, and Terra turned to see a series of brightly-colored shapes moving through the trees.

"Crystelles," she cried. Cloud cursed and reached back into his pouch and over his shoulder, withdrawing the Thunder Materia and slotting it into the Buster Sword as he brought it forward. The sword lit up green, electricity shooting along its edge. A bright blue aura appeared over Terra's arms as the two took fighting positions. The first Crystelle burst through the foliage into clear view, a tall and thin one with some sort of staff, and as with all of the automations was a single color, bright purple. Behind it more came into view, varied in color, size and shape. They stopped, lining up in front of Cloud and Terra, holding completely still.

"What are they doing?" Cloud whispered.

"I'm not sure," Terra replied. There was a sound, and Cloud turned his head. He turned right around to face another line of Crystelles coming up the hill. Cloud felt Terra press against his back as the two stared down the advancing lines of enemies on either side.

"They cornered us," she said, drawing her sword.

"They've gotten smarter," Cloud nodded. "How many are there?" Terra stretched out her senses to the crystalline automations surrounding them. A moment later, her lips curled up in a small smile.

"Not sure of the exact amount, but it won't be enough," she said. With a cry, Terra snapped out her free hand, sending a blast of fire forward. A few of the Crystelles had time to leap out of the way, the rest were incinerated into a flurry of light particles. The battle begun, the two lines of Crystelles charged forward, shouting in their distorted voices.

Cloud blocked a swing from the side, rolling as another weapon swung downward, and cleaved the legs of both attackers apart as he rolled. He flipped onto his feet, turning and slamming the Buster Sword into the ground, sending out a blast of energy along the dirt. As Cloud fought he confirmed that for some reason, the Crystelles that he was fighting were far more intelligent than the ones he had encountered previously. They were attacking in pairs or trios, covering for each other between blows and moving to dodge his attacks, while previously they had tended to rush into battle without caution or tactics. They were still foolish and easily destroyed, Cloud noted as he bisected three of them in one swing. But they certainly weren't toppling like dominos anymore.

Terra swung her sword up, blocking a swing and holding her hand out to the left. An octagonal barrier appeared in front of her hand, momentarily deflecting a sword aimed at her head, and a burst of blue energy from her palm shattered the Crystelle's head, leaving its body to collapse to the ground and dissolve. With a flick of her wrist Terra twisted the first Crystelle around and swung, cleaving off its arm and turning with the motion to swing her sword back up to slice a third Crystelle in two along the torso. The pendant around her neck was glowing a steady bright red now, her senses of full alert perceiving assaults from angles she couldn't directly see herself. Even as she used her sword to block attacks and counter them, her free hand moved through the air with a mind of its own, firing off blasts of energy and raising barriers to protect her from attacks from behind.

"Terra, you alright?" Cloud called, cutting apart a Crystelle and turning his head towards her. He turned in time to see Terra turn towards him. She caught what may have been a club formed from blue crystal, twisted it aside, sliced off the Crystelle's head and tossed Cloud a small smile. All the while her free hand was held out behind her, a burst of fire pushing back two Crystelles charging from behind her.

"Doing fine thanks," she replied, ducking and turning to cut a Crystelle across the stomach. A fist to Cloud's head brought his attention back to his own battle, knocking him down to the ground. Terra turned and lifted her hand, a blue bubble rippling over Cloud. With a pulse, the Crystelles surrounding him and on in the air leaping over its comrades were knocked back, giving Cloud time to climb to his feet.

"Thanks back," he said, swinging the Buster Sword and sending out a blast of lightning from the tip. Four Crystelles fell to the ground and shattered from the force. Cloud turned, ducked a club swinging at his head and stabbed the attacker, the tip of the Buster Sword letting out another burst of lightning at two Crystelle standing behind it. The horde was thinning out a bit, but Cloud noticed that it was only thinning for _him – _whatever instinct-level intelligence the Crystelle possessed was directing them to the woman that was mowing Crystelle down far faster than he was, and with greater ease. Terra was diverting attention from him with her usage of magic to compliment her sword skills, and while she was certainly capable of handling herself as she was proving at that very moment, Cloud was worried for her.

Cloud jumped back, avoiding an overhead cleave and swung the Buster Sword back in response, another beam of energy shooting along the ground. Two Crystelle shattered, and Cloud turned to cut another in two. A few feet away Terra sent out a burst of energy, instantly destroying three of the automations as her sword moved to behead a fourth. A few beads of sweat ran down her face, and her heart was pounding in her ears. Though her control over her powers was greatly increased, her body still had its limits, superhuman though they might have been. She was using too much magic too quickly to keep it up. The army was growing smaller and she was strong enough to keep fighting, but she was going to be exhausted for the rest of the day.

"I'm ending this," she whispered. "Cloud! Get close to me!" Cloud nodded and began stepping back towards her as he fought. Terra projected a barrier out around her, forcing back the Crystelles swarming her. She brought her hands up to clasp her pendant as wisps of pink flame appearing over her arms. Cloud swung, missed a block and was hit in the stomach, rolling backwards into Terra's legs. The Buster Sword spun out of his grasp as he fell. With a cry, Terra let loose a horizontal shockwave of white energy, spreading out from the barrier and washing over the Crystelles. One by one the crystalline monsters cracked and shattered like glass, the pieces vanishing as they fell to the ground. Behind Terra, Cloud watched as she single-handedly cleared out the remaining foes, his mouth hanging open slightly at the sight. As the shockwave dissipated, Terra let the barrier down and collapsed onto her stomach.

"Terra!" Cloud crawled up to her and put a hand on her shoulder. "You okay?" Terra turned onto her back and nodded, breathing heavily. A bit of her hair was matted to her forehead with sweat, her face flushed.

"I'm not used to channeling that much power so fast," she explained, closing her eyes. "Just a bit tired…I'll be fine in a minute." Cloud smiled and nodded. Terra opened her eyes again, and they went wide. "Cloud!" Cloud turned his head to see another bright blue Crystelle leaping towards them, a large two-handed sword in its hands. Weaponless and defenseless, Cloud crouched frozen as the creature descended, its warbling voice echoing in the air. Terra slowly raised her hand, an orb of magic appearing in her palm.

The warbling cry of the Crystelle was suddenly cut off by a louder, sharper, distinctively human voice. There was a flash of light, and a blur flew through the air, flying past the Crystelle. In the blur's wake the Crystelle's momentum shifted and it fell beside Cloud and Terra. They turned their heads, and Cloud stood up to see it cut in two at the waist, the two pieces rolling slightly as they vanished. He looked up from the slain enemy to their rescuer, crouched on the ground a few feet away. He was clad entirely in black save for white fur ruffles along the collar of his jacket. A silver sword was held out behind him, a small length of chain dangling from its handle. With a small grunt the man rose to his feet, spinning his sword through the air to rest over his shoulders.

"Thanks," Cloud said, stepping up to him. The man turned his head slightly, showing dark blue eyes between short brown bangs, and gave a sharp nod. He turned to face Cloud and opened his mouth.

"Squaaaaaaaaaall!"

Cloud turned to the sound of the call. The man closed his eyes and let out a frustrated sigh, his sword dropping to his side. Another man ran up to them dressed in bright blue. He stopped in front of Cloud, apparently not noticing him, and hunched over slightly as he caught his breath.

"Come on Squall, we've been over this, we're supposed to stick together! You gotta stop running off on your own all the time, that's how Zidane got kidnapped, remember?"

"…whatever," Squall muttered, still turned away.

"We've talked about that too, you can't just…" the man seemed to notice Cloud at last and looked up at him. "Oh, hi! You're another one of the good guys right?" Bartz held out his hand with a grin. "Nice to meet ya. I'm Bartz."

"Thanks," Cloud nodded, shaking Bartz's hand. "I'm Cloud."

"The guy over there pretending he isn't paying attention is Squall. You get used to him after a while, just don't expect him to say much," Bartz said, jerking his thumb. Cloud noticed Squall's eyes turn away from them at Bartz's words, and smiled inwardly. "And this is…" Bartz turned around and scratched his head. "Zidane was right behind me, where did he go?"

"Where do you think he went?" Squall replied, tossing his head to the right.

"Thank you, but I'm fine, really." Cloud and Bartz turned at the sound of Terra's voice to see a third man pulling her to his feet.

"Is that a tail?" Cloud asked aloud.

"Yeah, you should see some of the tricks he can do with it," Bartz smiled.

"Not at all, my pleasure," Zidane said, not letting go of Terra's hand as she stood. "It simply isn't in my nature to ignore a lady in distress…especially when she's as beautiful as you." Zidane smiled and pressed his lips against the back of Terra's glove.

"Um, thank you," Terra replied, blushing.

"I thought you said you were engaged," Bartz called, putting a hand on his hip. Zidane looked between him and Terra and made a face.

"So, what? I'm supposed to ignore a pretty lady in need? Just because I'm engaged doesn't mean I'm dead!" he shot back.

"How'd you three find us?" Cloud asked.

"We followed a pillar of light we saw the other day," Zidane explained, walking up to him. "We were hoping maybe someone else had found their Crystal."

"Yeah, we both did," Cloud said, reaching to his waist and pulling out his Crystal. Terra held out a hand, her Crystal manifesting from her pendant.

"Awesome!" Bartz cheered, pumping his fist. "That should put us up to nine if what Cosmos said is true."

"Cosmos? You've spoken to her?" Terra asked, her Crystal vanishing. Cloud followed suit and tucked his back in his pouch.

"A few days ago, yeah. She said almost everyone had found their Crystal so far, apparently there's another group of four wandering around out there, all with their Crystals. We've got ours, and if you two have yours, that's means there's only one Crystal left to go."

"Did she say who the other four were?" Terra stepped up to the group, anxious. There were only ten of them, if there was another group of four out there, odds were one of them was Onion Knight.

"Nah, sorry," Bartz shrugged. "We were told to come to her throne now that we've got most of the Crystals, we were on our way when we saw that light. You put on quite the show, we had to travel through the night to catch up to you. Must have been a heck of a battle."

"Even if we don't have the tenth Crystal, she said the first nine together are enough," Squall interjected, speaking up for the first time. "She has some sort of plan to change things, at least that's what she told us. We don't need all of them, not yet."

"A plan…she must mean Golbez," Terra whispered. The three newcomers looked at her expectantly. "One of the Warriors of Chaos…it's a long story."

"Those are always the best ones," Bartz nodded.

"Tell it while we walk then," Squall said, nodding towards the horizon. "Order's Sanctuary is that way, and we can't waste time here chatting."

"Order's Sanctuary?" Cloud asked.

"Cosmos said it's the point between the worlds where the light is at its strongest. Its where her throne lies," Zidane explained. "She pointed us in that direction when she contacted us."

"That's the same direction my Crystal was pointing," Cloud said. "Let's go."

"I'll explain on the way," Terra promised. "About Golbez, Shinryu, everything. There's a lot more going on here then we were told at the start of this."

"Great, sounds cool!" Bartz threw an arm over her shoulder with a grin, throwing the other arm over Cloud's shoulders. "Then I get to tell you about my trip through the Void, now _that's_ a story!"

"Oh come on, we've already heard that one!" Zidane protested.

"They haven't. Besides it's a good story. How many people do you know that have stopped evil trees from destroying the world?" Bartz asked. Zidane crossed his arms and smirked. Bartz rolled his eyes. "Okay, besides you and me, name someone else."


	24. The Storm

**This is where things are gonna change up a bit, readers. Up until now, this is has been a fairly straightforward Dissidia novelization told from Terra and Cloud's point of view. Well, now its time to fly off the rails and see where we land.**

**For those interested in FF7, I've started a new story, "Mother's Legacy". It isn't nearly as deep as this story in terms of character, but is more light-hearted and fun with lots of witty dialogue and action scenes, so if you like Aerith be sure to check it out! Two words – Action Girl.**

Shards of Memory

Chapter 24

The Storm

_**"Become a 'possibilitarian'. No matter how dark things seem to be or actually are, raise your sights and see the possibilities- Always see them, for they are always there." - **_Norman Vincent Peale

* * *

"A storm's coming," Terra murmured, her hair whipping past her face in the wind. "A bad one. We should get inside, soon."

"Got any suggestions?" Zidane asked, stopping ahead of her and turning around. Beside him, Bartz followed suit. At the head of the group, Squall stopped walking but remained facing forward. "We're kinda-sorta-mostly in the middle of nowhere," he pointed out. Behind Terra, Cloud looked to the side. The grassy field and forest of that morning had continued on during most of the day. Though Zidane assured them they knew the way to Cosmos, Cloud wasn't sure how, there were no real indications of where she could be that he and Terra had seen.

"No…but there has to be some sort of town or village or something close by," Terra said. "I could take a look."

"Flight?" Cloud asked, knowing what she meant. Terra turned to him and nodded.

"It should only take a few minutes," she said. "If you want to wait here, I can go and be back fairly quick."

"The longer you take asking for permission, the more likely we'll be caught in the storm," Squall called back, turning around.

"Right," Terra agreed. She closed her eyes and focused. With a slight shimmer she rose into the air, a light blue aura lighting up over her arms. Terra took a breath and flew forward, leaving the four behind quickly as she headed towards the horizon.

"Neat-o," Bartz grinned, crossing his arms.

"Strange," Cloud thought aloud, walking up behind them. "I guess she doesn't need to transform to fly after all."

"Transform?" Zidane asked, turning to him. Cloud thought. Would Terra want them to know about her other form? She hadn't told them yet…then again it hadn't even been a full day, and she _was_ a lot more open about her abilities than when they had met.

"She transforms when she uses her full power," Cloud explained, deciding to let Terra tell them the rest later. "I thought she could fly but I guess she can do that anyway, and her magic gets stronger. She turns pink…and well, furry…" Cloud blushed as he remembered the first time he'd gotten a good look at Terra in her Esper form. "and…nude." Bartz made a sound like a muffled chuckle, while Zidane slumped forward.

"Geez, that bites. How come I don't get to fly when I do that?" he grumbled.

"Maybe it's some sort of girls-only thing," Bartz suggested.

"Explains why Kuja can do it," Zidane quipped. The two shared a laugh, Cloud watching confused. Zidane could transform too? That shouldn't have been possible, unless there were Espers in his world too.

"He calls it Trance."

"Huh?" Cloud turned his head to see Squall standing a few feet away.

"It's part of the magic of his world. When his emotions run high he changes. I've seen it," Squall said.

"Yeah, but the only bonus I get for it is being a bit faster and a bit cuter, I don't get to fly. Now I just feel cheated," Zidane joined in. "So what about you Cloud, you get any special transformations?"

"Not really," Cloud shrugged. "Magic isn't innate on my world like that, we need Materia to use it." Cloud reached into his pocket and produced his Thunder Materia, holding it out to show them. Zidane reached out and held it up.

"Huh…cool," he nodded. "I can feel it yeah, definitely power in it. I don't use magic though, don't have the training for it." He handed the Materia back to Cloud, who pocketed it. "Besides, it's a lot cooler taking them out with a sword than with spells. Eh?" Zidane grinned. Cloud let out a small chuckle, then lifted his head and looked behind them. Terra flew back towards them, stopping upright in the air and lowering to the ground.

"There's a town up ahead, it's a bit of a distance but we can make it if we hurry," she said.

"Cool," Bartz nodded, heading forward. Squall and Zidane went to follow, Cloud remaining behind.

"We'll catch up in a sec," he called forward.

"What's wrong?" Terra asked, looking up at him.

"I told them about your transformation," Cloud said, keeping his voice down. "I didn't tell them about the Esper though. I wasn't sure if you wanted them to know or not."

"Oh. Alright then. It's alright," Terra replied.

"Really?" Cloud was a bit surprised. He had expected her to not want them to know, at least not from him. "I would have thought you didn't want them to know yet."

"It doesn't matter, there's more important things to worry about now," Terra said. "The only reason I didn't tell them is because being half-Esper isn't a subject that's easy to work into an introduction. If they know, they know, and if they ask about it I'll tell them. That's all there is to it." As Terra finished, the corner of Cloud's mouth twitched slightly. She caught it. "What?"

"You've changed since we met," Cloud said. "Back when we first began travelling you wouldn't tell me a thing about yourself."

"I had my reasons," Terra defended. "I wasn't ready for people to know, and I wasn't ready to face the truth myself. That's different now."

"So I can tell," Cloud smiled. "I'm glad. We all need to find the strength to move on, that's just how it is."

"And that's just what I'm doing," Terra agreed, turning and following the three ahead of them. Cloud watched her go, his smile fading.

_"Find the strength to move on…what would you know about that?" _his mental voice taunted. _"You haven't moved on from anything in nearly a decade."_

"Shut up," Cloud hissed, closing his eyes. "That's not it at all."

_"How long, four, five years sealed in that capsule, a guinea pig for Hojo's experiments? You escape and lose track of who you really are, and by the time you find out again you go and get yourself sick and run off. You've lost nearly a decade of your life to false memories and twisted experiments because you're too weak."_

"I said shut up!" Cloud snapped, clutching the sides of his head. Ahead of him, Terra slowed to a stop and turned her head slightly.

"What is that…" she whispered, her eyes darting along the ground.

_"As long as you let his shadow cover your heart, you'll never be free of him. You've been his prisoner one way or the other ever since that day in the reactor. You can't escape him, because he won't let you, and you can't stop him."_

"That…isn't…" Cloud struggled.

"Cloud!" Terra called, turning. "Hurry, there's something wrong!"

_"Why bother fighting, even if you stop him here he'll still find a way to return in your world sooner or later. He'll never stop until you're dead, and you know it. This is a fight that you'll never be able to win for good."_

"Shut up…shut up…" Cloud chanted, not hearing Terra. "I'm not…" the ground under Cloud's feet shook, and he opened his eyes.

"Cloud!" Terra screamed and ran towards him. Cracks appeared in the ground, the grass splitting apart. With a loud rumbling, Cloud fell backwards, the ground in front of him sinking. Terra ran down the sinking ground and jumped onto the higher ground, landing next to Cloud.

"What's going on?" Cloud asked as she pulled him to his feet.

"I'm not sure," Terra replied. The two turned forward as the sinking ground dipped lower. Suddenly, a wall of dark purple smoke shot up from the space between the two pieces of land, rising into the air and blocking their side. When the smoke cleared, the sinking ground in front of them was gone. In its space was left a black void, blue and violet on the edges. Terra got a chill at the sight. Something about the void in front of them sent her senses on alert. Whatever it was, it felt very _wrong_.

"We've gotta go," Terra said, taking a step behind Cloud and turning. Behind them, the landscape was cracking apart, sections of grass splitting into smaller pieces and slowly sinking into nothingness. "Hold still." Terra turned and slipped her hands under Cloud's arms. With a small grunt, Terra floated into the air, Cloud hanging from her hands.

"Don't drop me," Cloud said, trying to turn his head.

"Then stop moving," Terra replied, flying forward. Ahead, Squall, Zidane and Bartz had broken into a run, Squall looking back to see them approaching.

"What the hell is going on!" Zidane screamed, the ground under them shaking and tilting to the left. The three stumbled at the motion but kept moving.

"I have no idea," Cloud replied, now only a few feet behind them. A spike of energy to her senses had her turning her head before the ground between Zidane and Squall cracked. Squall turned as Zidane cried out and began to stumble again.

"Come on!" Squall snapped, reaching out and grabbing Zidane's wrist. He pulled the thief up beside him, until Zidane had his footing back. Ahead, the shape of a town on the horizon was coming into view, a large windmill dominating the skyline. The grass below changed from wild and tall to neatly cut, farm crops dotting the landscape. The five kept running toward the town, Terra looking over her shoulder at the chaos chasing them. Surprised by why she saw, she slowed to a stop.

"It stopped," she called ahead, lowering to the ground and letting go of Cloud. Ahead, Squall, Zidane and Bartz turned and walked back to them.

"Thanks for the help," Cloud said. Terra turned her head and nodded, then looked back over the field they had just left. The crumbling land had stopped precisely at the too-defined border between the world the town was a part of and the world the field was from. With a safer viewpoint, the five comrades watched as random pieces of land cracked apart and slid downward, dirt and rocks falling out from the sides. As they fell into the purple-black space below, swirling vortexes opened beneath the pieces and consumed them, vanishing once they were completely gone. Jets of purple smoke shot up as each vortex vanished. After several moments, the final piece of the field slid down into its vortex and disappeared. A wall of purple energy shot up along the border between the two locations, blocking their sight and then lightening and turning transparent.

"What just happened?" Cloud asked. Terra slowly stepped forward and reached out a hand. "Terra, I don't think that's a good idea," he said, taking a step after her. Terra ignored him and reached out to where the wall of purple energy had been. As her fingers touched it, she frowned and pushed.

"It's solid," she announced, pressing her hand firmly against empty air. "There's something there, I don't know what but…it's like pressing against glass. I can't see it but there's definitely something blocking the way." The other four came closer, Zidane joining her and poking at the air.

"Yeah, no give at all…" he muttered. "What the hell just happened?"

"It's the Void." Terra and Zidane turned to Bartz. His gaze was transfixed on the purple and black nothingness beyond the invisible barrier. "I've seen it before. It's the realm of nothingness locked between worlds," he explained.

"Well it looks like someone let it out," Zidane picked up, folding his hands behind his head. "Chaos, probably."

"Are we safe here? Will it cross over and start consuming this part of the world too?" Cloud asked, turning to Bartz.

"Hey hey, asking the wrong guy here. I'm no expert on how the thing works, just seen it before," Bartz said, holding up his hands.

"I don't sense it expanding…just before it took that place, I felt something was wrong. But I don't sense that here," Terra offered.

"Still sense that storm?" Squall asked. Terra nodded. "Then we still need a place to rest. We don't know if that Void is coming to keep coming after us, but we _do_ know the storm is for sure. Let's worry about the certain dangers first."

"He's right. We have to stop, not much choice," Cloud agreed. The five turned to the city, and Zidane scrunched up his nose.

"Huh. I know that place," he muttered, jogging ahead. "That's Dali."

"Dali?" Bartz asked.

"Nice place, lots of farms. Little mountain town…at least in my world it is." Zidane lowered his arms and headed towards Dali, the other four warriors following. Within a few minutes they were among buildings, smooth stones forming a street between them.

"I think it was over here," Zidane mused, looking around the street. "There we go. Inn, over here," he gestured the group forward and headed towards a larger building with a second floor.

"Wouldn't mind finding something to eat while we're here…think there's anything?" Bartz asked as Zidane pushed open the doors.

"I doubt it, unless you want to go hunting for a monster," Cloud said.

"Hold on!" Zidane yelled from inside the inn. The four peaked through the open doors as Zidane rifled through the drawers of the desk in the main room. "Where did he keep them…ah!" Zidane pulled out a small white box out from one of the drawers, pulling off the lip to reveal rows of slim bars wrapped in red foil. "Chocolate anyone?"

"Is that really safe to eat?" Terra wondered. Bartz walked over and grabbed a bar, twisting off the foil and taking a bite. He chewed slowly for several seconds, and swallowed.

"Eh, ain't bad. A bit hard," he shrugged.

"How'd you know they were in that desk?" Terra asked. Zidane grinned as she, Cloud and Squall entered the inn.

"Ya know, that's actually a very funny story. Involves a pair of baby Chocobos and a Moogle, though that part's a bit weird. See, last time I was here…"

* * *

Terra turned over in bed and looked out the window. The moon was high. The afternoon had been spent sequestered in the Inn from the rainstorm, the howling winds and stinging rain coming down hard until the sun had set, when it had gone as suddenly as it had arrived. Zidane had passed the time by telling them more about Dali. As he described it, it sounded like a smaller town than even Thamasa, focused on trade of crops due to their proximity to an airship gateway in their world. Then evening had turned to night and the group decided to get some sleep, Squall volunteering to take watch at the inn's entrance. Terra had been trying to get to sleep, but for some reason sleep refused to come.

She turned in bed and stood up, looking over at her companions. Cloud was rolled on his side, Zidane was sprawled out on his stomach, tail twitching randomly. Bartz was on his back, snoring slightly. With a small smile, Terra stepped down the stairs to the main room of the inn. Squall was leaning against the desk, his head held down. His eyes were closed, his chest gently falling and rising. Terra approached the door of the inn and pulled open the door slowly, stepping out into the night. She turned and walked into the field, a slight breeze tossing her hair over her face. She brushed it back, the muddy ground and puddles making her grateful for the stone path leading out of town. Terra followed it as it headed out into the crop fields, and she approached what she imagined the ends of the earth might look like.

The Void was glowing in the moonlight, the light pulsing brighter and darker in a slow but steady beat. Terra lifted a hand to feel the invisible barrier separating the Void from Dali. She wished she understood what it all meant. The earth collapsing, the barrier rising, the Void's dark light. She'd never seen anything like it before and it worried her. It was the same sort of feeling she had gotten when she had looked upon Kefka's Tower for the first time, the soul-chilling feeling that she was looking at something perverted, chaotic, and plain _wrong_. Her Esper and human sides were in complete agreement that the Void was something to be feared and avoided.

"But…what _is_ it?" she whispered, pressing her hand more firmly against the barrier. She had a good idea that the Void was destructive, that much was obvious given the events of the day. But that wasn't enough to set her on edge, not like it was at the moment. This was something more primal, instinctual. On some deeper level her spirit sensed the Void and did not like what it sensed. And she couldn't understand why. She almost hoped her hand could pierce that border. If she could get a bit closer, see it closer, feel its power for herself unfiltered through the barrier, perhaps then she could begin to understand it.

Terra remained out in the field for several minutes, silently running her fingertips over the border between nothingness and Dali. It was vibrating slightly, sending a gentle hum up her arms. Terra focused her senses to try and see if the barrier was visible on some level, but she couldn't. Much like the Void beyond, the barrier keeping it at bay was functioning on a level she couldn't comprehend. With a small sigh, Terra turned and headed back to the inn. Squall was still sleeping standing up as she entered. With a glance back at him, Terra headed towards the stairs.

"Let me guess."

She jumped at the voice behind her and turned. Squall was still standing leaning against the desk with his eyes closed, but his chest had stopped moving.

"You're wondering what it is…and what its appearance here means," Squall finished, opening his eyes and turning his head. Terra recovered from the shock and nodded.

"Something about it…I don't like it," she replied. Squall turned his head to face forward again.

"I know the feeling," he muttered. "Something about that Void, I recognize it somehow. Makes no sense but I do. I'm not afraid of a lot. But I'm afraid of that…thing."

"I feel the same way. It sends all my senses on alert just being this close to it now," Terra agreed. Squall nodded but didn't say anything else. "Can I ask a question?" Terra said suddenly.

"Go ahead."

"…do you not like us?" Terra asked. Squall turned his eyes towards her.

"Why would you think that?"

"You're always so quiet and withdrawn, and when you do talk you're brief about it. I know we only just met, but even around Zidane and Bartz you're that way and you've been with them for a while."

"So I dislike you just because I don't talk your ear off?"

"You know what I mean."

"…"

Terra let out a frustrated sigh while Squall turned his eyes forward again and became silent. Terra waited for further response and considered going upstairs. Then, Squall spoke again.

"It isn't that I don't like you, or Cloud, or those two. I'm just that sort of person. People like Zidane and Bartz, they act friendly and tell stories and make quips to be friendly. They talk a lot because they like being liked. I don't care if you like me or not. I'm not telling you that to be a jerk, I'm telling you that because it's the truth. I am who I am. I focus on my mission, I do what I need to do within reason to complete it, and I don't stop until I get it done. If you want to socialize and make jokes, you've got those two for that. Me, I want to stop Chaos and get my world back. Nothing else matters right now. So yeah, I'm not going to go out of my way to be nice to you, because you don't need that. What you need, what we all need, is to make sure we can rely on each other, that we've got each other's backs in what'll probably be the greatest battle of our lives. Regardless of what you think of me, when it goes down and you or anyone else needs saving, I'm going to be there. Because we may not be friends, but we are comrades. And I don't let comrades die."

Squall fell silent again, leaving Terra to think over the small speech he had just given. Squall remained still, his attention on the window looking outside.

"I…I guess I'm sorry," Terra said finally. "I didn't know."

"Don't be sorry. You have nothing to apologize for."

"I do. I thought you were cold and uncaring, I didn't realize…"

"I stand by what I said, there's nothing to apologize for. You haven't hurt my feelings any, so no harm done. Just because I'm not your friend doesn't mean I dislike you. Not liking someone doesn't mean you dislike them. You're an ally, a powerful one, and you're a good woman. I respect that. That's why I travel with those two."

"How did you three come together?" Terra asked. Squall lifted his head and stared at the ceiling.

"It was a while ago, when I met them I thought they were just a couple of kids…" Squall suddenly let out a chuckle. "I was almost embarrassed to learn Bartz is older than me."

"Bartz is older?" Terra cried, surprised.

"By a few years, yeah. I know, that was my reaction too. I stuck by them mostly because when I had met them I saved them from a huge mass of Crystelles. I didn't want to leave them in case they got in over their heads and ambushed again. I felt like a babysitter at first, they were always goofing around and cracking jokes…then we got into another fight, and I saw firsthand they're just as good in a fight as any of the other fighters I've seen. And I was raised in a school that trained mercenaries. I started to respect them after that. Since then they've been captured at different times but we got back together and stuck with each other. I've saved them just as many times as they've saved me since. Zidane looks like a little guy, but I've seen him tackle enemies three times his size to the ground, and he doesn't give them the chance to get up. Bartz isn't the most orthodox fighter, but it works for him and he's more than capable of handling himself."

"But you don't consider them friends," Terra reminded.

"No. Frankly I don't see the point."

"What do you mean?"

"Think about it. We get the Crystals together, destroy Chaos and restore our worlds. What happens then?"

"We go home."

"Exactly. Do you think we'll be together after that? The worlds are supposed to be kept apart, that's why Chaos destroyed the boundaries between them. When we set things back the way they're meant to be, we're never going to see each other again. Like I said they're comrades and I respect them, but why bother making friends if this is the only time I'll know them? Pretty soon it'll be over and we'll go back to our own lives. It just doesn't matter."

"I hadn't thought of that," Terra whispered, turning away. "But you're right."

"Yeah. I've got a girlfriend back home, and friends. But here, why bother? No point getting close to people I'm going to be leaving behind once the mission is over."

"I guess not."

Squall turned to Terra, her demeanor suddenly changed.

"What is it?"

"Nothing," Terra said, shaking her head.

"Alright. You don't need to tell me. But if I had to guess, I'd say you're sweet on that guy you're with. Cloud, right?"

"W-what?" Terra gasped. "No, it isn't like that! I just…he's a good friend. But there's more to it than that. There's a connection there I haven't felt before. I feel like he really understands me better than anyone else. I don't want to lose that if I can help it."

"I see. But you're going to."

"Then I'll cherish the memories," Terra vowed. "That will be enough."

"We all have to cherish something," Squall nodded. "You find something you care about, something you'd give up everything to protect, and hold onto it. It'll keep you going long after lesser warriors would give up and die. It gives you something personal, something deeper to fight for when the standard reasons aren't enough."

"And you?" Terra asked. "You have something you want to hold onto?" Squall turned his head and reached into his pocket. He withdrew a small silver Crystal. It looked like a smaller version of the weapon leaning against the desk beside him, three white feathers emerging from the blade.

"Yeah…I do," he replied, looking down at the Crystal. Terra smiled slightly, catching the unspoken words.

"Well…I'm heading back to bed," she said.

"Right. And hey," Squall said, turning to her. "I'd prefer it if you keep this conversation secret between us. Got it?"

"Why?" Terra asked. Squall smirked slightly and closed his eyes.

"If Bartz and Zidane hear they'll never let me hear the end of it. Besides that, I've got an image to keep up."

"Right," Terra nodded, smiling. "Good night Squall."

"Good night Terra."

The young woman turned and slowly walked up the stairs. Squall listened to her go, and looked back down at his Crystal again.

_"There's a connection there I haven't felt before. I feel like he really understands me better than anyone else. I don't want to lose that if I can help it."_

_"Hmph…she'll see,"_ he thought, returning the Crystal to his pocket. _"That's how it begins."_

_

* * *

_"Jecht."

The blitzball star lifted his head as the door to his chamber swung open, Golbez's imposing figure filling the doorfame.

"It is almost time," the sorcerer said. "Let's go."

"Good, I was getting bored," Jecht grinned, standing up from his bed. He grabbed his sword from against the wall and gave it a practice swing. "Where're we heading?"

"We journey to Order's Sanctuary to see the goddess. Soon she shall hold her audience with her warriors, and we shall be there to collect our rightful rewards for our roles in her plan."

"Right. I didn't sign up to do this pro bono," Jecht said. "Lead on." Golbez nodded and turned, leading Jecht into the hall.

"The barrier of light protecting the sanctum prevents us from teleporting there. I will take us as close as we can, we must travel to her from there on foot."

"Great. I'll give us time to bond on the way, man to man ya know?"

"I think not."

"Think Mateus will notice we're gone?" Jecht asked.

"Within the next twenty-four hours, this war will be over and Mateus' spirit will be cast back into oblivion. He won't notice in time to do anything about it."

* * *

Emperor Mateus lifted his eyes as the doors of the Chaos Shrine opened, Garland stepping out of the portal beyond.

"So?" he asked mockingly.

"Chaos is…aware of this. He has been for some time, so he claims."

"Oh?" the emperor laughed. "Imagine that."

"You have gone behind my back," Garland accused, marching up the ramp towards Mateus. "You have deceived me Mateus!"

"I have deceived all of you," Mateus said with a cruel sneer. "Everything that has transpired has done so according to my design. You've all played your parts perfectly. Even you Garland."

"You arrogant bastard, do you have any concept of what you have done?" Garland shouted. "This could destroy us all, unravel thousands of years of conflict, all for the sake of your own delusions of grandeur."

"Such words are unbecoming of a lowly knight, especially when addressing an emperor."

"You are no emperor of mine."

"That will soon change."

Mateus held out his hand. With a swirl of dark particles of energy around his arm, a glowing dark violet Crystal appeared floating above his palm. Swinging his staff upside down, the claw on the bottom snapped open. Mateus plucked the Crystal from the air and placed it in the end of the staff. The claw clenched shut, trapping the Crystal and sending sparks of black lightning along its length.

"Behold the Crystal of Darkness. The ultimate power I have achieved that you could never have dreamed of," Mateus declared. "By this hand, wielding this power…all shall end."

"You haven't ended it yet Mateus," Garland said lowly.

"Not yet no. But soon. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've business to attend to." The emperor spun around and headed into one of the passages leading deeper into the shrine. Garland clenched his fist tightly as he watched him go, lifting his sword with a roar and plunging the tip into the demonic face on the back of the emperor's throne. Stone shattered under the impact, the throne's backing crumbling and two of the four horns falling to the ground. Breathing deeply, Garland pulled his weapon free, the face shattered beyond recognition.

"This…will not stand," he whispered. "I will not allow it."


	25. A World Without Light

**Woo, been an eventful week! Had my birthday on Tuesday, completed college registration of Wednesday, celebrated birthday with movie and minigolf on Thursday…fun time! Well, enjoy the chapter, time to kick this story into overdrive!**

Shards of Memory

Chapter 25

A World Without Light

"_**There are two kinds of light — the glow that illuminates, and the glare that obscures."**_ – James Thurber

* * *

"The time is upon us," Mateus whispered. The emperor stood on the roof of the Chaos Shrine, four stone altars rising around him. Behind him at the doorway leading back into the shrine stood Garland, watching intently. Mateus swung his staff through the air and pointed its tip towards the ground. With a pulse of energy a beam of purple light emerged from the tip and struck the ground. The beam fragmented into four and began to trace out a runic pattern along the shrine, archaic letters lighting up along the edges in flashes of dark yellow light. The beams drew out a large-six pointed star, four rings running through and around its points. The entire symbol flashed brightly for a moment as it completed, Mateus standing in its center.

"A grand show," Garland said as the emperor looked over the runic symbol. "I hope the second act is as impressive." Mateus smiled but did not turn.

"I am only warming up," he replied, reaching out his hand. A growth of jagged light violet crystals emerged from the center of the crest, and Mateus placed the tip of his staff in the center, the dark crystal encased on the other end rising into the air. The two raised their heads to the bright purple and black clouds circling overhead. Thunder rumbled within them, the clouds beginning to swirl around each other. The lettering along the edges of the runes began to light up in sequence as the emperor closed his eyes and began to chant. As the letters lit up the violet lines between them lit up in their wake, the rune re-igniting its light.

"Now Garland," Mateus whispered, opening his eyes as he finished changing. Sparks of energy flew from the dark crystal as the rune was entirely lit in gold and purple light. "Behold, my power that surpasses that of the gods, of fate itself!" the emperor looked to the heavens as a large black void of nothingness appeared in the swirling clouds circling overhead. Garland too turned his head upward to witness the emperor's final gambit. A bolt of light struck the staff below, the dark crystal fragmenting the energy into three. Three of the six points of the star drawn into the ground was hit, dark purple and black vortexes forming on them.

"Rise again, my chosen allies," Mateus ordered, taking hold of his staff again and lifting it into the air. "By your pact with me you forfeited your lives for the sake of my grand design, and by your pact with me I keep my word and restore you from oblivion." The vortexes rose higher, several feet tall and almost as wide. Three shadowed silhouettes appeared within them.

"Impressive, for you at least. To equal a feat prior accomplished only by Chaos," Garland admitted. Mateus smiled.

"Who was it you think gifted me this sort of power?" he replied. "Chaos entrusted me to grasp the final victory that has eluded him for eons, and I have done it. I will take my place at the side of the god of discord, and by his hand all shall be mine to rule." The three vortexes closed, the figures within remaining on the points of the star. The emperor turned and smiled, holding out a hand. "Welcome back, my dear."

"You took your time with your promised revival, Mateus," Ultimecia lectured, casually pushing the hand aside as she approached him. "I'd begun to wonder if your plan had failed."

"On the contrary, it has gone more perfectly than I had dared hope at first. You three doubted me, but now you see my triumph first-hand with your rebirth."

"A cunning ploy. My humiliation may yet have been proven worth my time," Kuja said, looking himself over. "Is it just the three of us then?"

"I chose those who I felt I could trust," Mateus said. "The feckless destroyers would find no room for their wanton chaos in my new world. You three, on the other hand, I knew would comply."

"We complied, yes. In exchange for our promised dominion over our worlds." Mateus turned to Sephiroth, crossing his arms before him. "What of that?" Sephiroth asked.

"That will come in time, when we accomplish our final mission - the extermination of the Warriors of Cosmos. Once their light is extinguished, it is done." Mateus lifted his staff as the three reborn warriors moved away from the runes on the ground, the purple and gold vanishing in their wake. Dozens of orbs of light descended from the vortex above and hovered above the ground. One by one they flashed to reveal a Crystelle, forming rows in front of the emperor.

"What folly is this?" Garland asked from behind Mateus. Mateus raised his staff, and the Crystelles kneeled in unison, bowing their heads.

"It seems Chaos has appointed a new general to command his forces," Mateus said. "I cannot fault him for it. He has now seen I make good on my promises. I have done more for him in a single cycle than you have in dozens." Garland let out a low growl. "Do not blame yourself, Garland. A knight is powerful, but no knight can match the strength and cunning of an emperor." Garland turned with a flourish and marched down the steps behind him into the Chaos Shrine, his cape billowing behind him.

"Shall we…persuade him to join us once again?" Ultimecia asked.

"No. He had his chance and squandered it. Even if he were to agree now, he has proven himself unworthy of our trust. It doesn't matter, we no longer need him," Mateus said. "Now, my final gambit." The emperor lifted his staff and turned it, bringing the dark crystal before his eyes. "I _did_ have some assistance acquiring this. So I think it is only fair that my unwitting accomplice receives his just rewards."

* * *

Bartz had been the first one to see it, likely since Terra had noticed he had a habit of running off ahead of the ground. He had run ahead over a steep hill, and then run back a moment later to tell them what he had seen. A moment later all five of them reached the hilltop together and beheld Order's Sanctuary.

A wide river, the water clear and crystal blue, bordered Cosmos' sanctum. A thin layer of water washed over the border into the sanctum, the ground there consisting of smooth white stone that almost glowed. Bands of green energy swirled through the air and arced out of the ground. Sheets of white stone rose from the ground at random places, water erupting from their tops and washing down the sides.

"Wow…" Cloud breathed, his eyes wide. Zidane and Terra nodded silently in agreement.

"A realm befitting a goddess," Squall whispered. "Let's go." His words broke the spell the beautiful sight had cast on them, and the other four nodded and started down the hill. A simple flat stone bridge crossed the river into the sanctuary, made out of the same bright white stone as the sanctuary itself. As they crossed it, Terra felt a shiver go up her spine. She felt the energy in the air shift and noticed her companions pause as they too felt what she had felt.

"There is a barrier protecting this place," she said, closing her eyes. "A wall of hallowed light protecting the sanctuary…I've never sensed its equal."

"Probably to keep the bad guys out," Bartz suggested. "Guess we're good then." Terra opened her eyes and knelt down, putting her fingers in the water. Her nail wasn't even fully submerged before she touched the stone, and she pulled her hand back.

"It's warm," she said. "The water is warm here, and the stone…"

"Cosmos is near," Zidane said, looking around the area. "I can feel it."

"Me too," Cloud agreed. "We're almost there. Just a bit more, and we've won."

"Right. No stopping now!" Zidane cheered, breaking into a run. "Race ya there Bartz!" Bartz let out a laugh and gave chase. Squall slapped a hand to his forehead and slowly walked after them. Cloud shrugged and stepped forward, passing by Terra.

"Cloud." Cloud stopped at Terra's voice and turned to see her with her head down.

"What's wrong?" Cloud asked, walking back to her. Terra turned her eyes to the side.

"When we see Cosmos, and hand her the Crystals…we'll restore our worlds… we're going to go home, to our own homes," Terra replied, lifting her head, "but none of us will see each other again, will we?"

"Yeah…I guess so…" Cloud said, thinking for a moment. "I guess…this is our goodbye then." Terra smiled sadly and walked up to him. She leaned forward and gently pressed her lips against his cheek. Cloud's face pinked at the gesture, and she pulled back.

"Goodbye Cloud," she whispered. "And thank you."

"For what?"

"…everything." Terra smiled brighter and walked beside him to continue after Squall. Cloud didn't turn right away, bringing a hand to his cheek, still warm with his blush and her touch. A flash went off behind his eyes, and Cloud shook it away.

"…right, goodbye," he said to himself, turning around. This is what he had fought for, what they had all fought for. The restoring of their worlds, the right to return home…so why did he still feel like something was wrong? The small voice in the back of Cloud's head taunted him, but Cloud ignored it and resumed following his allies.

"This is it. There's no turning back after this," he said under his breath.

* * *

"We are here," Golbez said, stopping at a stone bridge and lifting his head to look over the only just-visible barrier stretching overhead. Beyond the barrier stood Order's Sanctuary.

"Nice place," Jecht said behind him. "We gonna go in or should we knock first?"

"The goddess will permit us entry soon. Cosmos is a good goddess, Jecht. She will not forget our pacts."

"Yeah, well, excuse me for not being a blind believer," Jecht shrugged. There was a change in the wind, and Golbez lowered his head. He lifted an arm and watched it pass over the border with a slight ripple in the air.

"And so she keeps her word," Golbez nodded, stepping through the barrier. "Jecht, come quickly. The barrier of light will rise again soon."

"Right," Jecht nodded, following Golbez. The barrier closed again behind them, leaving the two Warriors of Chaos within the sanctuary.

"It has been over two thousand years since the forces of darkness last step foot in this place," Golbez whispered. "We are honored guests indeed."

"I'm not feeling that honored, just bored. Come on, let's get this over with." Jecht continued on ahead, leaving Golbez to eventually follow him. The two headed towards the center of the shrine, a column of swirling green energy floating in the air over a distant throne.

* * *

"Hey, we've got company," Bartz called behind them as he and Zidane jogged forward. Squall, Terra and Cloud had already noticed the distant figures standing near the throne up ahead, but they had been too far away to make out specific details. Now closer, they could make out more distinctive features, and Cloud and Terra both began to run as well.

"Terra!" Onion Knight called, running towards her. Terra smiled and knelt down, embracing him.

"You're alright," she laughed. "I thought you'd been captured?"

"Yeah, I was," Onion Knight pulled back and shrugged. "I took a few names, kicked a few asses, got a Crystal, no big deal. All in a day's work for a hero," his expression turned serious. "I heard from Cosmos about the Esper. I'm glad you're doing better."

"In regards to the Esper, the best ever," Terra nodded. Cloud continued beyond them and nodded at three more familiar faces.

"Firion, Cecil…Tidus. Its good to see you," he said, stopping in front of them. The three nodded, Firion smiling.

"Ya know, I was kinda steamed when I found out you ditched us," Tidus grumbled, folding his hands behind his head. "But I'm over it now. Good to see ya made it okay."

"Yeah. Thanks," Cloud said.

"Did you find what you were looking for?" Firion asked. Cloud turned back to Terra, still talking to Onion Knight.

"More than I had hoped," he said. Terra noticed his gaze and smiled up at him.

"This is all of us then." The collected nine warriors turned. Cosmos' throne was a simple curved seat carved out of an outcropping of rock, bands of green energy spiralling overhead. The goddess herself was seated quietly, her eyes closed, hands folded in her lap. This was the first time since first coming here that Cloud had seen her in person, all other times she had only appeared in visions. Beside her throne, leaning against one of two rock outcroppings rising beside it, was a knight in blue and white armor, arms crossed over his chest. Judging from how he was looking over the group, Cloud guessed he was the one who had spoken.

"Nine Crystals are gathered here," the knight said. The group gathered closer around Cosmos, and the goddess opened her eyes. "Present them," the knight ordered. The group looked at each other for a moment, and then did as they were told. Eight hands reached into pockets and clothing folds, emerging holding a shining gemstone. Terra held out her hands and watched as her Crystal manifested from her pendant. She looked over the other eight warriors around her. The Crystals were as a varied in appearance as their owners. A few feet away, Cloud looked down at the Crystal in his hands, and tightened his grip on it.

"Hey, where's yours?" Bartz asked, looking at the knight. The knight turned his head to look down at Cosmos.

"Hikari, we will tell them after," she said gently. Hikari nodded and turned back to the group.

"My Crystal, my path, we are…different, from yours," he said. Cosmos stood up and took a step forward.

"So hey, now we put everything back, right?" Onion Knight said looking up at her. Cosmos shook her head.

"In due time…you are not the only ones we have been waiting for," Cosmos replied. She turned her head to the right, and the group followed suit. Tidus scowled at the two figures approaching and ran forward, dropping his Crystal on the ground.

"YOU!" he snarled, lifting a fist. Jecht lifted a hand and waved, grinning.

"Hiya runt!" he called. Tidus ran up to him and swung his fist. Jecht moved out of the way and wrapped an arm around Tidus' head as Tidus stumbled forward, twisting him in a headlock. "How's my boy doin'?" Jecht laughed, ruffling his hair.

"Let go of me you old bastard!" Tidus yelled, struggling to get free. Jecht let him go and Tidus fell backwards, glaring up at him. "What are you doing here anyway?" Tidus asked.

"Ask him," Jecht said, jerking his head towards Golbez. Golbez turned from them and continued walking, Cecil stepping forward to meet him.

"Brother…why are you here?" Cecil asked, stopping when he was standing between Golbez and the others behind him.

"He is here to receive his promised reward, as is Jecht," Cosmos explained. "Golbez has acted to sabotage the Warriors of Chaos, so we may obtain the Crystals before the divine dragon awakens. For this I shall fulfill his desire, to be reborn into your world with your father's people."

"The Lunarians?" Cecil asked. "This…this is why you allied with Chaos?"

"I was bound to him before this agreement…this is my escape from servitude to the darkness. By this act, I shall redeem myself," Golbez said, walking past Cecil.

"And you? Wait, lemme guess. You're coming back too," Tidus said, getting up in front of Jecht.

"What? You sound disappointed," Jecht smirked. "Yeah, I'm gonna be sticking around this time. Your old man can show you first-hand again how a _real_ ace plays!" Tidus scowled.

"Just…try not to be like this all the time, huh?" he said, smiling slightly. Jecht nodded and slapped a hand on his back. The two walked up to join the others, the group now consisting of twelve.

"By the power of the Crystals, the worlds shall now be restored. But your quest is not yet done. Chaos' chosen general, Garland, must be slain, and the final Crystal reclaimed from him. Once this is done, all shall be as it was before," Cosmos said.

"Why save him for last, can't we go kick his ass now and get it over with?" Tidus asked. Jecht chuckled beside him.

"It doesn't work that way," Hikari said, shaking his head. "His Crystal is the Crystal of my world. My Crystal is different from yours."

"Different how?" Firion asked. Hikari began to answer, when the ground shook. The water underfoot began to buddle, the green energy circling overhead flashing. Cosmos gasped and clutched her chest, swooning forward.

"Cosmos!" Hikari swooped down to catch her, the goddess falling against his shoulder. Blond hair draped over his arm, Cosmos' eyes wide. "What's wrong?"

"I sense…great darkness…" Cosmos whispered. The other warriors looked around as the bright blue sky overhead turned dark, black clouds appearing and blotting out the light. Cosmos turned her head in Hikari's arms to her throne. Behind it, the ground cracked open, a wall of flame erupting into the air. A dark shadow appeared behind the wall, growing and taking shape. Large wings…four arms…a long tail…

"No…this cannot be…" Golbez said, looking up at the flames. With a loud roar, the wall of flame dispersed into the air to reveal the god of discord floating in the air above Cosmos' throne. With a low chuckle, the demon descended to perch on the back of Cosmos' seat of power, the stone cracking under the weight. The clouds overhead grew darker, thunder rumbling within them. The demon reared up to his full height on the throne back, hands held out to the sides. Pupil-less orange eyes blazed brightly above a large, fang-filled mouth.

Chaos had arrived.

"Chaos...impossible!" Hikari protested. The god looked down at him, pointed teeth glowing bright in the low light. Behind Hikari, Terra flinched and brought a hand to her head as words whispered themselves to her inside her brain.

_"Quite possible, Champion of Light," _the god voice said, amused. Terra looked back up at Chaos. The voice of the god was coming straight into her mind, no actual speech was emerging from his mouth. _"Cosmos…how long has it been since we last laid eyes upon each other?" _Chaos asked, looking down at his counterpart.

"Eons, Chaos," Cosmos answered, standing up from Hikari's arms. "I have long thought about this day when we would meet again. For better or worse."

"You cannot be here!" Hikari said, standing up beside Cosmos. Chaos turned his head towards him. "The barrier of light protects Order's Sanctuary, you cannot enter it!" Hikari cried.

_"You speak truly…and yet, I am here," _Chaos laughed, the upper set of arms crossing. _"The barrier of light protecting your goddess was lowered for a brief moment…long enough for my darkness to enter and allow me a way to manifest here…"_

"No…" Hikari turned to see Golbez step back from Chaos.

_"For so long, despite my superior power, the forces of light prevented me from confronting your goddess myself," _Chaos continued. _"Then, in this cycle, I was made aware of one who might change that. One who would betray me, and seek council with Cosmos. By the advice of Emperor Mateus, this betrayer was allowed to run freely, earning your trust and the trust of your goddess…until at last I could use the darkness in his heart to shatter the barrier of light from the inside…"_

"Golbez…you…" Cecil gasped, turning to his brother. Golbez looked back down and held up his hands.

"No!" Golbez cried. "I didn't! Cecil! Please!"

_ "It was by your treachery, Golbez, that I have arrived here," _Chaos said, turning to look at the warlock. _"Unwittingly, heedlessly, you followed the emperor's chosen plan perfectly. Now, by your actions, this long cycle of war has come to its final end."_

"You are lying!" Golbez shouted, clenching his fist. "I would never let you do this!"

_"Did you think that you could outsmart a god? To be allowed to plot and scheme under my nose without detection? You were able to plot against me because I allowed it, that the emperor's plan would derail yours to allow my victory. You fool, it is by the festering darkness of your heart that I called you to my service. You are bound to serve me one way or the other, regardless of if you do it willingly or by force, by conscious decision or as an unwitting pawn. And serve me loyally you have, by allowing me entry to the one place in all the worlds I could not enter alone." _Chaos let out another laugh, the sound echoing through Golbez's head. _"Despair, Warriors of Cosmos. Look upon the man who has betrayed you all. Golbez, truly you are my most loyal warrior, to deliver me to directly to Cosmos' throne without even knowing it."_

"CHAOS!" Golbez roared, rising into the air. He drew back a hand, a dark aura over his arm, and lunged at the god, cape fluttering in the air. Chaos flung out a hand, a wall of invisible energy rippling before him. Golbez stopped dead in the air, his arms forced out to the side.

_"I returned your dark powers to you while you were in my service. You and Jecht played your parts well. But it is done. Your task is complete, Golbez. And so, your services are no longer required." _Golbez let out a cry of pain as wisps of dark energy began to rise from him. _"I release you both from my servitude, and take back my gift. Join with your family, and you may all watch together as I reign over your worlds." _Chaos snapped his hand shut, and Golbez's armor vanished in puffs of dark purple smoke. He remained floating, clad in a dark brown kilt and black cloak, his head slumping forward. Chaos lowered his hand, and with a weak groan Golbez collapsed to the ground.

"Brother!" Cecil ran to Golbez's side and knelt down. White hair shifted slightly as Golbez slowly turned his head to look up at Cecil with one violet eye. Cecil looked back up at Chaos as the god looked down at them both.

_"And now…for you, Cosmos," _Chaos said, turning back to the goddess. _"The time has come at last. Even a goddess must face her fate."_

"This is not the end, Chaos," Cosmos said defiantly. "Your darkness is great. But light shall always endure, even without me. You will see when I am gone, that your victory is not yet decided. You chose your pawns well this cycle, but I have chosen mine with equal consideration! They will not be defeated so easily!"

_"Is that so?" _Chaos replied. _"Then I shall test their strength, by seeing how well they fight without their goddess to promise them salvation in exchange for victory." _Cosmos turned to Hikari.

"Go. Take them from here," she ordered.

"No!" Hikari said, reaching to his back. Sword and shield came forward, the warrior assuming a fighting stance. "Chaos! Fight me! I shall destroy you here and now with my own blade!"

"Count me in too! You want Cosmos, you can go through us!" Zidane agreed, grabbing his daggers. One by one the other heroes readied their weapons. Cecil stood up from Golbez's weakened body and drew his weapon as well. Chaos laughed, tilting his head back.

_"Bold words, mortals, but you are foolhardy. You think to challenge the might of a god?" _At the last word Chaos whipped out a hand, a wave of energy erupting from his palm. The ten were flung back by the force, landing heavily several feet away. _"Your power is nothing, you are not even fit to taste death by my hands! Instead you may watch, powerless, as your goddess is destroyed," _Chaos declared. Cosmos turned, locking eyes with Hikari as he slowly climbed to his feet.

"This is the result of the path I have taken," she whispered, closing her eyes. "Your path must continue without me now. Follow your light, and trust in it. The Crystals are my final power. Believe in them."

_"Enough of this," _Chaos said, rising into the air. He lifted a hand over his head, a glowing white circle appearing in the ground around Cosmos' feet. Cosmos turned back to him and leaned her head back, eyes closed. _"Farewell, Cosmos." _Hikari pushed himself up and ran forward, hand outstretched.

"Cosmos!"

The circle around her feet vanished as a column of flame burst out of the ground, hiding Cosmos' figure. Hikari skidded to a halt a few feet in front of the flames, eyes wide. The flames roared into the sky, piercing the black clouds overhead and billowing outwards in a mushroom cloud. The ground shook underfoot, the ribbons of green energy circling Cosmos' throne flashing and vanishing. The ten warriors climbed to their feet and watched in horror as the column of fire dispersed, revealing nothing but scorched stone.

"No…she can't…"

Terra wasn't sure which of them had spoken, if it had been her, or if she had imagined the words. Chaos stretched his wings out and landed heavily, Cosmos' throne shattering into rubble under his feet. The stone scattered, Chaos letting out a triumphant roar that shook the air.

_"It is done…the war of the gods is ended at last…" _Chaos looked over the ten warriors, glancing to the side where Jecht had Golbez to his feet, his arm flung over Jecht's shoulders. With a snort, he turned back to the ten heroes before him._ "Warriors of Cosmos…you may bask in the sorrow of defeat a while longer…" _Chaos' wings wrapped around him, another column of fire coming out of the ground below him and consuming him. _"Savor your final moments in a world of complete darkness…until your light too, meets its end." _As the flame pillar vanished a shockwave went out along the ground. The glowing white stone of Order's Sanctuary turned dark as the shockwave spread out. The dark clouds overhead grew thicker, the water springs halting and the water's flow stagnating.

The group of warriors slowly approached Cosmos' broken throne as one. Hikari knelt down, rising with one of the larger pieces in his hands. Cloud turned to the side to see Jecht slowly walk up to them with Golbez. For what seemed like hours, the air was silent save for the gentle whistling of the wind and the distant rumble of the clouds. Cloud noted silently he had heard nothing but the sound of running water before. Besides that, the air was thicker now, heavier and chilling. The white stone's glow was gone, casting all the area in shadow from the dim light peaking through the clouds above.

"…it's cold now…"

Cloud turned to Terra to see her clutching her arm. She had her head down, her lips quivering slightly. Cloud approached her and put a hand over hers.

"When we arrived, it was warm…but now…" she whispered, lifting her head to face Cloud. Cloud nodded, realizing she was right. Whatever warmth and light that had radiated from this place had been extinguished with the goddess living here. Terra lifted her other hand holding her Crystal and brought it closer to her chest. It had always radiated a slight warmth, and she wanted that now.

"Cosmos…you cannot be gone," Hikari said under his breath, running a thumb along the ridge in the stone in his hands. "You cannot be…" Suddenly, Tidus yelled angrily and ran forward, his sword and Crystal falling to the ground as he dropped them. Supporting Golbez's weight Jecht didn't have time to move and was tackled to the ground, Tidus slamming his fists on his chest repeatedly. The other warriors watched silently as Jecht lay on the ground, scowling slightly but not moving to stop his son. Beside them Golbez lay on his knees, a hand on the ground.

"This is all your fault!" Tidus screamed. "You and Golbez did this, you came here, you had her let him in! It's your fault, Chaos got in here because of you!"

"Tidus," Firion said gently, laying a hand on his shoulder. Tidus pushed him away and kept hitting Jecht.

"If you had just died when I beat you this wouldn't have happened, but you two had to try and change things! Is this what you wanted, happy now! You two did this!"

"_I know,_ ya little brat!" Jecht snarled, putting his hands on Tidus' biceps and flinging him off of him. Tidus landed on his stomach and slammed his fists into the ground. "I know," Jecht said more softly, standing up. "I know…"

"Now what do we do?" Zidane asked, looking between the other warriors present.

"I…I don't know," Squall answered, bringing a hand to forehead and clenching his eyes. The hand holding his Crystal gripped it tighter. "I don't know…" Golbez began to rise to his feet, when a shadow fell over him. He looked up to see who it was, then let his head drop back down.

"Do you hate me anew, Cecil?" he asked. Cecil did not reply, simply staring at his brother. "I will not fault you for it if you do," Golbez said, standing. Cecil looked away, not making eye contact.

"We need to continue on," Hikari said at last, looking up from the piece of rubble. All eyes turned to him. "Cosmos…she said we have to continue along our paths. That means we have to keep fighting without her now." Hikari turned to face the majority of his comrades. "We have to find Garland and the Emperor. And claim the final Crystal."

"Have you lost it?" Onion Knight shouted. "Cosmos is dead! What do the Crystals matter anymore?"

"Be calm. We have to believe," Hikari insisted.

"Believe in what?" Tidus snapped. "She's gone! Our worlds are doomed now! What are we supposed to do?"

"I don't know, I'm trying to figure it out," Hikari said, thinking. "This isn't how it is supposed to go, this isn't the way it plays out…she said this would change things but not like this…"

"What are you talking about?" Cloud asked. Hikari turned to him, and the ground shook again. Terra inhaled sharply. Her senses went on full alert, and she looked down at the ground.

"Chaos again?" Firion asked.

"No…I remember this feeling…" Terra gasped. "Run! It's the Void!" At her words the slab of rock holding Cosmo's throne cracked apart and stabbed into the air. Collectively, the ten Warriors of Cosmos turned and began to sprint towards the shrine's borders, Tidus ducking down as he ran to grab his sword and Crystal from the ground.

"Brother, we have to go," Cecil said, holding out a hand. Golbez turned away and pushed him forward.

"Not with me. Go alone," Golbez said bitterly. "I have caused enough pain."

"No, I won't leave you!" Cecil cried. Jecht appeared beside Golbez and shook his head.

"We'll be fine. He said go," Jecht ordered. Cecil hesitated, then turned and followed his companions. The dark grey stone cracked apart with rising intensity, slabs of stone slipping into nothingness. Zidane and Onion Knight were ahead of the rest as they ran. Suddenly, the ground before them dropped away, and the two slowed to a hall. A wide, long strip of earth fell away into the Void. The group turned to see the sanctuary behind them similarly falling away.

"We're trapped," Terra realized, looking around. The Void was spreading faster than before. All around them the rock had fallen away, leaving only a few small patches existing. In all directions was nothing but darkness, too far to jump.

"No, not all of us," Cloud said. "You can fly, go," Terra turned to him and shook her head. "Terra, don't be stupid! Save yourself."

"I'm not leaving you, any of you," she whispered. Cloud looked ready to protest again, but Terra reached out and grabbed his hand, gripping tightly. Cloud looked down, then back up at her and nodded grimly. The slab of rock shook, and began to descend.

"I had always hoped I'd die in the embrace of a beautiful woman…don't suppose I can get a hug Terra?" Zidane joked weakly. Terra looked down at him and forced a smile for his sake.

"No…not yet," Hikari said, shaking his head. "The Crystals, quickly!" He turned and held out his hand. "Join hands with me." One by one hands were clasped over Hikari's, each warrior's free hand still clutching their Crystal.

"What are we doing?" Cloud asked.

"The Crystals still have light…it may be enough…" With all ten hands joined, Hikari placed his free hand over theirs and closed his eyes. The nine Crystals glows, then lit up in a brilliant flash as the stone crumbled away and the pieces fell into oblivion. As the glow subsided and the last piece of stone vanished, the Warriors of Cosmos were gone.

* * *

An orb of fire streaked through the sky over fields of ash and molten rock. Tall black spires with red runes carved into their sides dotted the area. The fire curved downwards towards a plateau of stone rising from the lava and slammed into the large throne there. The flames cleared to reveal Chaos, who stretched out his four arms and sat back.

"Welcome back, my lord," Mateus said, bowing his head. Sephiroth, Ultimecia and Kuja stood behind him.

_"Your plan is a success, Mateus," _Chaos said, clasping his upper set of hands below his chin. _"The goddess of harmony is gone. With her dead, I am without equal."_

"Indeed. Then the time has come for the second phase," Mateus nodded.

"Second phase?" Sephiroth asked.

_"The final remnants of light must be extinguished. The Warriors of Cosmos are still a danger to me. With Cosmos gone, the balance is broken. I shall not risk it tipping back in favor of the light," _Chaos explained. _"As it is, the light of their Crystals will safeguard them from the rising darkness. Were they to claim the tenth Crystal…they will not be given that chance though."_

"This is why I used the crystal of darkness to revive you," Mateus explained, turning around. "This is our final task – to destroy them. With Cosmos gone and the Crystals weak, our power shall be at its peak. It should be easy, for allies of your caliber."

_"Indeed. Sephiroth, step forth," _Chaos ordered. Sephiroth stepped up before the god, and Chaos held out a hand. An orb of green and violet energy appeared in his grasp. An image appeared to Sephiroth in the orb, and he slowly smiled. _"This is my gift to you. The power that I denied you upon your rebirth, I now return. Use it to crush Cloud and Terra, and return with their Crystals."_

"At my full power? With this gift of strength?" Sephiroth asked, extending his hand. The orb of energy pulsed and floated into him, an aura appearing over him momentarily. "It will be my pleasure. I have had enough holding back. Cloud Strife shall fall by my hand at last." Sephiroth turned and walked past the emperor to the steps leading down from Chaos' throne.

"You overestimate yourself. Has Cloud not beaten you in single combat before?" Mateus asked. "What makes you think you can prevail now?" Sephiroth closed his eyes and chuckled lowly.

"Yes, he has won before…but not when I have been like this," he whispered. "Watch, Mateus, and behold my full strength."

* * *

Terra heard trickling water, and blinked her eyes open. Several feet in front of her was a fountain. Terra sat up and looked around. The other nine Warriors of Cosmos lay unconscious around her, but Golbez and Jecht were gone. They appeared to be inside a large stone temple, inside the main hall if she had to guess. The sides were lined with octagonal columns, large windows streaming bright sunlight into the chamber. The ceiling was set high, chandeliers with a dozen candles each hanging down. The hall was lined with benches and tables, the sides of the hall full of bookshelves stretching high overhead. Suddenly, the memories rushed back, and Terra's eyes went wide.

"Wake up!" Terra cried, jumping to her feet. Squall stirred slightly and Terra ran to him. "Squall!"

"Mm…." Squall opened his eyes a crack. "What is it?"

"We're alive!" Terra said. Squall's eyes opened fully and he sat up.

"We are," he muttered, looking around. Around them their comrades began to stir as well, sitting up slowly.

"It appears my home has some uninvited guests. I wonder, are they heroes, or just some troublesome pests?"

Terra and Squall turned to the source of the new voice. At one end of the temple hall a flight of stairs led up to a doorway. At the top of the stairs stood a small woman in a black and white dress, blond hair tied up in two pigtails. The woman chuckled slightly and put a hand on her hip, the other hand on her chin.

"You lot are about the soundest sleepers ever. Still, you're awake now, so better late than never," she laughed.


	26. Perseverance

**General note that updates will probably slow down a bit. I know they weren't exactly weekly before, but I've begun college and am gonna be adjusting, and on top of that I have Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep distracting me, so…yeah, things may slow down, but I promise **_**will not**_** let this story die. **

**Oh, and Dissidia is getting a sequel with Lightning and Kain! AWESOME! Ironically, that ties perfectly into something I was gonna do later in the story. I've no plans yet to change the story to fit the info from the sequel, but…well, we'll see.**

**Lastly, I've begun a forum, it's on my userpage. Just a place for you guys to talk about my stories and ask me questions if there's something you're curious about and wanna know. **

Shards of Memory

Chapter 26

Perseverance

"_**Today will die tomorrow. Time stoops to no man's lure"**_ – Algernon Charles Swinburne

* * *

"Who…who are you?" Terra asked, starring at the woman. A great aura of power surrounded her, surprising given her size. Terra was trying to figure out not just who this woman was, but where she could have come from. For that matter, she was curious as to _what _she was too. She sounded and carried herself like a woman but looked like a mere child. The woman let out an indignant cry, and crossed her arms.

"Surely you must say that as a joke, are you ignorant or just common folk?" the woman replied, glaring slightly.. "I am Shantotto, Windurst's Minister of Magic. I'll forgive the insult, since you're still a bit lethargic."

"That's gonna get annoying fast," Squall muttered under his breath. Cloud stood up a few feet behind him and looked around. The Warriors of Cosmos were waking up and taking in their new surroundings. The temple they were in didn't look familiar to him, but it seemed peaceful here. As he surveyed the surroundings, he noticed something among his allies. Or rather, a lack of some_one_.

"Where are Golbez and Jecht?" he asked. Tidus and Cecil shared a look.

"They must have been…left…behind…" Cecil whispered, lowering his eyes. Tidus growled slightly and turned away, his eyes closed. His hand clenched into a fist.

"…stupid old bastard," he mumbled.

"How did we survive?" Zidane said. "Hikari, what did you do to the Crystals?" The warrior turned to him and nodded at the ground. Lying on the ground around them were the nine Crystals, glowing brightly in the shadows of the temple walls. He knelt down and picked up Zidane's Crystal. The amber stone was still glowing brightly, casting small shadows over the floor.

"The Crystals are the light of Cosmos herself, gifted to our worlds to bless them with life," Hikari explained. He held his hand out to Zidane, who took his Crystal from him. "The Void cannot consume them until that light is extinguished. As long as we hold them, they will protect us, and oblivion cannot claim us. They will buy us the time we need to destroy Chaos."

"And how do you know that?" Cloud asked, turning to him. "You said before Cosmos told you she would change things. Which means you know how things are _supposed_ to go normally. You know more about the past cycles than you're telling us." The final sentence was a statement, not a question. The warrior's eyes darted between the faces in his view, then back to Cloud's.

"…yes," he answered after a moment. There was a small cough, and the group turned back to Shantotto. She shook her head, smiling slightly.

"Quite rude of you, ignoring a lady. I'll appreciate some introductions when you feel you're ready," she lectured. "And hello again Hikari, Champion of Light. I assume from your presence you're still in the fight?" she asked.

"Greetings, Lady Shantotto," he said, bowing his head. "It has been some time. Indeed, this is my last." His face darkened. "I am happy to see you again, but…if you are here, then you too, are trapped by discord?"

"An unfortunate circumstance, but yes it's true. Not all of us are as fortunate as you," Shantotto said, sighing slightly. Terra's eyes lit up. Trapped by discord…

_"There are others like me. Others trapped by defeat and loss, bound to this world by the Gods."_

"Gabranth," Terra whispered, recalling the words of the armored knight she and Cloud had fought what seemed so long ago now. Cloud heard her and turned his eyes to her.

"You know her?" Tidus asked the warrior. Hikari turned to him and nodded again.

"Shantotto and I fought together in a previous cycle, with eight other comrades. Like you, we fought to defeat Chaos' minions and reclaim the Crystals of our worlds. Shantotto, if I recall, was defeated by her chosen enemy," Hikari explained. "It was fortunate that Chaos' forces didn't have enough time to defeat all of us before Shinryu's awakening, so his claim on the Crystals fell, and the worlds was restored. However, the same is not true for all of Cosmos' chosen heroes," Hikari turned back to Shantotto. "Shantotto, like many past warriors, was trapped in the Void between worlds by the power of discord. That is the price one pays for defeat, even if their allies are victorious. So it was that Shantotto was bested."

"Oh, don't remind me, his win was a fluke," Shantotto said, irritated. "I'm far too mighty to lose to that spoiled little duke."

"Yet, here you are," Hikari reminded. "Though of course I'm certain you didn't go quietly."

"I gave a good fight, in that you're right," Shantotto sniffed.

* * *

_A blast of magical energy sent Shantotto flying backwards through the air. She hit the floor heavily and winced, pushing herself up. The floor was a long metal platform with hexagonal planes of glass set into it. A large shard of blue crystal rose at the far end, a floating platform hovering above it. In front of it, a man in a dark cloak lowered to the ground, blond hair falling over the sides of his face.__"Yield, Shantotto," Eald'narche lectured, walking towards her. Shantotto lifted her head to see the Zilart Prince coming, his left eye and hands crackling with dark energy. "You are outmatched in this."_

_"Don't think I'm done, I've only begun," Shantotto tossed back, jumping back into the air. She flung out a hand and sent a force of slicing wind down. Eald'narche jumped after her, a dark aura manifesting over him. He pushed through the wind and exploded a blast of fire in Shantotto's face. The diminutive mage fell back to the ground, Eald'narche gracefully landing a few feet away, his cloak fluttering._

_ "You are powerful, yes. But you are beneath me," Eald'narche declared. "You can't really think you can accomplish anything, do you? Can't you see that I am the hero of this battle? I shall cleanse the darkness from the hearts of the weak mortals, and create a new nirvana. The future of Vana'diel belongs to the strong and the pure, not to the weak and corrupt. It belongs to me."_

_ "But of course," Shantotto shot back, turning her head. "The future is to be seized by brute force!" the mage spun and fired a blast of energy. Eald'narche smirked and swept a hand through the air. Glowing square-shaped runes flitted into existence around him and spun, forming a swift barrier that blocked Shantotto's attack._

_ "Very well. If you want to die a meaningless death, who am I to stand in your way?" he whispered. With another flick of the wrist, the square runes turned and shot like blades through the air towards Shantotto._

_

* * *

_"We've met another like you," Terra said suddenly. "His name was Gabranth. He said he was imprisoned here." Cloud thought back. Gabranth had been aligned with Chaos, Shantotto was formerly aligned with Cosmos. It was as Hikari had implied then, it didn't matter which side you were on if you lost.

"I care not for a dog chained by fate. He realized his plight far too late," Shantotto shrugged, holding up her hands. "So then Hikari, if this is your last clash, what becomes of you when you swing your last slash?"

"The same as what became of my predecessor," Hikari said, bowing his head.

"What's she mean?" Cloud asked. Hikari lifted his head and turned away, his expression hardening.

"Not now. We need to focus on finding Garland and Emperor Mateus, this isn't the time."

"Why not?" Zidane asked, running in front of him. "It might as well be the time, because we don't have much left."

"Which is precisely why we need to focus on what's really important," Hikari repeated, turning towards the doors of the temple. "I'll explain what you need to know when you need to know it, until then it isn't important."

"The Mithra-imitator does have a point," Shantotto called as Hikari headed towards the temple entrance, the other nine Warriors of Cosmos parting as he neared. "Why not tell them now than when it's time to anoint?" The warrior didn't answer, instead turning around.

"I am moving on to the Chaos Shrine," he announced. "I will face Garland and claim the final Crystal, as is my duty. This is the final task entrusted to me by Cosmos, and I will see it carried out. If you wish to abandon hope and find your own cause to fight for, I will not stand in your way. But this _is_ our final hope, and with that in mind I ask, which of you wish to accompany me?" he looked over the group, meeting their eyes one by one. Some met his gaze, others looked away.

"If we get that last Crystal, we can really fix things? Even without Cosmos?" Zidane asked. Terra noted the hope in his voice. He wanted to believe it. She did too.

"I believe so…I am not sure though," Hikari admitted. "Cosmos told me she was doing something drastic this cycle, but I did not know what…I'm just as lost as the rest of you now, but we need a direction. As it stands now seeking out Garland and the Crystal is the best path for us. We cannot stand by and let our only hope be lost to despair."

"I'll go then," Zidane nodded, walking towards him. "A lady left the fate of the future in our hands. What kind of man would I be if I ran with my tail between my legs?"

"Count me in too," Bartz said, following him. "This adventure isn't over just yet."

"Garland…isn't the only hope we have," Cecil said quietly, closing his eyes. The three looked at him. The paladin lifted a hand to his chest, his fingers clenched into a fist. "My brother is alive, I can feel it. His light is shadowed, but it still shines. I will not leave him alone. Even if his fate is decided, I cannot let him face it by himself, not if I can save him."

"Think the old man's with him?" Tidus asked. Cecil turned to him and nodded. Tidus scowled and looked away. Terra watched as his expression softened after a moment, his eyes flickering with emotion. "…well, he put it all on the line and lost it…guess if we don't save him, he ain't getting saved," he decided after a moment. Hikari stepped forward.

"Cecil, whatever Cosmos was planning, Golbez was an important player in her plans. He may know something that can help us…if you wish to locate him, you have free reign to search. Find him and return to us. If nothing else, he will give us more power when we face Chaos. Twelve stand a better chance than ten."

"Thank you," Cecil nodded. Terra stared at him and Tidus. She knew Golbez and Jecht had to have survived, she couldn't sense it in the literal way, but in her heart she knew the two turncoats were still alive. For all their darkness, their past evils, and their servitude to the god of discord, their family still valued their bond. And, if what Cosmos had said of them was true, Golbez and Jecht valued it back.

"I want to go too," She said. "Golbez helped me understand my powers, I owe him much. I can't leave him alone to die if there's a chance he can be saved." As she spoke, Terra realized it was more than that. He had attacked her, sometimes lied to her, and his actions confused her. Yet, she had come to think of the armored warlock as a friend.

"If you're going, I'm going," Cloud said. Terra looked at him and silently thanked him with a smile. Cloud had not met Golbez first-hand but knew he had helped Terra in the past. If she wanted to look for him, he was going to go with her.

"I'm not sure this is a good idea," Firion muttered, crossing his arms and lowering his head. "It makes sense to find Golbez and Jecht, but we can't just split up so soon again. If Cosmos is gone, we need to be prepared for anything. Chaos may try to eliminate us next, and we were helpless against him when we were unified. What if he strikes again when we're at only half our power?"

"We must chance it. Besides, I doubt the god of discord will make another move against us so quickly. Cosmos' destruction will not have been an easy task for him, he will likely be too weak to attack," Hikari said. "Whoever wishes to accompany me to the Chaos Shrine, you're free to do so. If you wish to find Golbez and Jecht, that is also your choice. I trust your hearts to decide for you." With that, the warrior turned and left the temple. Zidane and Bartz slowly followed, stopping on the way to gather their Crystals. After a moment, Squall swung his sword onto his shoulders and walked after them without a word, scooping a hand down for his own Crystal without breaking stride.

"I guess, this is good luck then," Firion said to the other group, uncrossing his arms. Cecil stepped forward.

"We're not saying good-bye," he said. "We'll meet again, when it's time."

"Right," Firion agreed. He held out his hand, and Cecil took it. "Take care of yourselves." With a small smile, Firion let go and turned to his Crystal. He held it in both hands and stared at it silently, then pressed a hand to his chest. The Crystal glowed and transformed into a glowing pink rose pinned to his armor. Firion nodded and continued on out of the temple.

"I guess you're staying with us then?" Terra asked, looking down at Onion Knight. He smiled up at her and pumped his fist.

"Yeah, of course!" he cried. "I didn't get back to ya after all this time just to ditch you again so soon!"

"I'm glad," Terra replied, returning the smile. His enthusiasm was infectious. "I've missed you too."

"Shantotto," Cecil said, looking at the mage. "Do you know where Golbez and Jecht could be?" Shantotto, who had been standing aside watching the group drift apart, pursed a lip and tilted her head back.

"They say darkness congregates in lands of utter shadow. Vagrants of chaos drift there when their spirits drift from below," she lowered her head and reached behind her back. Her hand came forward clutching a staff almost as long as she was tall, and she held it out. A ray of red light emerged from the staff and fired through the air. A flickering image appeared overhead of two violet towers of crystal and steel rising from a mountain range. A swirl of dark clouds covered the sky.

"The land where time repeats itself ad tedium. The palace of Hell, Pandaemonium."

"Pandaemoniun…Firion spoke of that place," Cecil said. "It is Emperor Mateus' stronghold. I doubt it will be easy to penetrate."

"Well, Firion's obviously done it before," Tidus said, smiling and pumping his fist. "We can do it again. Besides, the emperor is probably busy with Garland, if we're lucky he isn't even home."

"That's fine for when we get there, but how do we plan to do that in the first place?" Terra asked. "We don't know where to find Pandaemonium, and we don't have time to wander the world hoping to run across it."

"She's right. We need a solid direction or we're going in blind," Cloud agreed. "That's how we went about finding the Crystals and look how long it took us. Traveling on foot randomly won't work anymore."

"There _is _one way I might suggest, if you don't mind going on a little side quest." The five warriors turned to Shantotto.

"You know how to find Pandaemonium?" Onion Knight asked, running up to her. Shantotto cocked her head and thought.

"There's a little secret treasure beyond sunset in a cave. It should be quite useful if it's travel assistance you crave," she said.

"What treasure?" Onion Knight asked.

"No fun in telling, a secret's more compelling," Shantotto laughed, crossing her arms. Onion Knight made a face.

"You're sure it will help?" Cecil called. Shantotto turned her eyes to him and nodded. "Alright then. That's as good a direction as any."

"Thank you, Shantotto," Terra said, bowing slightly.

"You can thank me by leaving me to my rest," the mage said, beginning to fade into green particles of light. "Now get going. Good luck on your quest." In a flash of light Shantotto vanished, leaving the temple platform empty save for Onion Knight.

"Well…let's go," Cloud said. Cecil nodded and turned, heading for the temple exit. Terra, Cloud, Onion Knight and Tidus followed him.

_"A secret buried in a cave…what could she mean?"_ Cloud wondered. Shantotto's clue was as vague as could be, and he wasn't entirely sure she was trustworthy. He remembered the duel with Gabranth, he may have just been a trapped spectre like Shantotto but he was a very real danger. On the other hand, Hikari knew her and apparently trusted her, which was worth something. It struck Cloud that like Gabranth, Shantotto seemed to know more about the cycle of war than they did. Hikari obviously did too.

_"He said he knew Shantotto from a past cycle, that can only mean he's been called more than once. She said this was his last…how many times as he fought in these wars?" _Cloud thought about the Warrior's cryptic comments and mysterious nature. He said his Crystal was different from theirs. Was it different because he had been in more than one cycle? Or was it the other way around?

_"I'm tired of these secrets…"_ he decided, letting out a small sigh.

* * *

"You've got some confidence in Cosmos if you're still up to fighting Garland now that she's gone," Zidane said, keeping pace with Hikari. The warrior didn't respond, keeping his eyes facing forward. The path ahead was an asphalt road highway stretching over a large body of water.

"You know where we're going, right?" Bartz called up ahead.

"Yes," Hikari replied. "I can sense my Crystal in Garland's grasp. Its light is calling to me."

"How come we can't sense our Crystals like that?" Firion asked from behind him.

"As I told you before, my Crystal is different," Hikari repeated.

"You still haven't quite explained that," Zidane said, looking up at him. "Out with it." Once again, the warrior didn't respond.

"Maybe he doesn't feel like telling," Squall suggested. Zidane jumped slightly, not noticing the mercenary walking only a few feet behind him. Squall, as always, had been quiet up until now.

"Fine, whatever," he shrugged, folding his hands behind his head. "In that case, tell me more about this Garland guy you don't like. Can't be as big a jerk as the one I know."

"He is a fallen knight from my world," Hikari said after a moment. "He was bred for war to defend our nation from a terrible war machine, until his heart collapsed from the same darkness he fought. He betrayed our kingdom and stole our princess from us. My comrades and I defeated him, but Garland's spirit could not be destroyed. After that…" Hikari stopped and closed his eyes. The other four stopped in turn and stared at him.

"What's wrong?" Bartz asked.

"…bad memories," the warrior whispered. "I…this is not the first time Garland and I have done battle, not by far." He opened his eyes and continued on. "And I doubt it will be the last." His allies watched him walk, none willing to stand in his way.

"Something's not right with him," Bartz said, scratching the back of his head.

"No kidding," Zidane nodded. The warrior ahead heard them and ignored them.

_"It doesn't matter if they believe or not, as long as I last long enough to choose. Even if what Cosmos told me is the truth, I still have to follow the rite," _he thought, narrowing his eyes. _"One of them will be the one. It's just a matter of who is the most worthy."_

_

* * *

_"She was a little brat," Onion Knight decided, walking a few feet ahead of the rest of the group. "She could have at least told us what it is we're supposed to be looking for up here."

"Agreed, but she told us what she was willing. Let's be thankful for that at least," Cecil agreed.

"If she was supposed to be one of the good guys in a past cycle, how come she wasn't more helpful to us now?" Tidus asked. "You'd think she'd be loyal."

"She's dead," Cloud said flatly. "I don't think loyalty is a high priority to her anymore."

"Yeah I know," Tidus shrugged. "I'm just sayin' is all." Cloud silently agreed. Shantotto's advice was as vague as one could get, but it was the only direction they had. They were looking for Pandaemonium, and hypothetically speaking Firion would know the way, but in this torn world there were no landmarks to go by so travel was a shot in the dark. He trusted Shantotto to have told the truth, since she was apparently formerly an aide of Cosmos. That didn't change the fact though that her help wasn't very helpful thus far…

Cloud turned his head to look at the young woman walking beside him. Terra had been silent since they had left Shantotto's temple and begun walking, basing their direction on the sun's current position on the horizon. He had asked her what was troubling her, but Terra had replied she was simply worried about Golbez and Jecht. Cloud had believed her at the time, but now he wasn't so sure. She had good reason to be worried, Golbez had helped them a lot over the last while, and as he had seen with his own eyes the warlock harbored a good heart underneath the sinister armor. Even if he had helped Chaos as an unwitting pawn, now that Chaos had released him and Jecht there was a chance they could become true allies rather than just shadowy turncoats.

"Cloud." Cloud blinked back out of his thoughts as Terra said his name. He noticed she was now looking back at him and had stopped walking.

"Yeah?"

"Do you think…" Terra hesitated for a moment. "Are we to blame for this?"

"What?" Cloud exclaimed, a bit louder than he'd intended. Cecil, Tidus and Onion Knight had continued on when they had stopped, but now had turned around.

"Cosmos' death…she died because Golbez tried to help us, and she trusted him enough to let him into her sanctum. But isn't that because we weren't strong enough? Golbez helped me because I couldn't control my powers…maybe, if we…if I had been stronger, we wouldn't have needed him, and Cosmos-"

"Don't think that way," Cecil said firmly. "My brother chose the path he felt was right in his heart, it is no fault of yours that he was manipulated by Chaos. I doubt he blames you."

"Yeah, if there's anyone to blame for this it's him and the old man, not you," Tidus chimed in. He made a face and stuttered as Cecil turned his head. "Er, I mean, ya know, because they kinda tried to go against Chaos, which wasn't exactly the best idea, and well, uh-"

"You're right," Cecil said quietly. "My brother is to blame for Cosmos' death. He attempted to outwit a god and failed. His own arrogance got the better of him."

"No. The one to blame is the rest of them," Cloud said. "You said it yourself, Golbez did what he thought was right. Do you think he would have kept going with his plan if he had known what would happen?"

"Of course not. My brother is shady, but he is not evil," Cecil defended, his voice rising slightly. "I have stood before him as an enemy and beside him as an ally, and I have seen his courage. I confess that I…doubted him, but no more."

"Then you know I'm right, it isn't his fault. He got tricked, but I'll bet a lot of have in the past." Cloud inwardly noted his entire journey to fight Sephiroth had been him playing into the schemes of his nemesis, and looked between Cecil, Tidus and Onion Knight. Onion Knight rolled his eyes, Cecil met his gaze with a sharp nod, Tidus looked away and rubbed his neck. "Emperor Mateus is the one who told Chaos to manipulate Golbez like that, he's the one to hold responsible."

"Well, good thing Pandaemonium is his fortress then," Onion Knight said with a grin. "I say we bust in, free Golbez and Jecht, and together we kick a little imperial ass! Payback time!" The air was filled with laughter as he finished.

"You are much too young to be speaking so brashly," Cecil chuckled, laying a head on his helmet. Onion Knight made a face and brushed his hand away.

"Hey, I'm not _that_ young!" he protested.

"You're younger than my son and _he_ isn't old enough."

"Young or not, the kid's right," Tidus said, crossing his arms and smiling down at him. "Let's get moving, the sooner we find Shantotto's little secret up ahead the sooner we can find my old man and Golbez. Sitting on our hands thinking isn't going to get us anywhere!"

"Right," Cecil nodded. The three turned and continued on. Cloud stayed behind. He'd been watching Terra out of the corner of his eyes during the exchange with Cecil and noticed she hadn't joined in the laughter at Onion Knight's declaration. She still looked worried.

"That's enough," he said, turning fully towards her. "What's the real problem?"

"I…it's Shantotto," Terra said at last.

"Still trying to figure her out?" Cloud asked. He didn't blame her, she was an enigma on more than one level. Cloud was curious as to how she so effortlessly made everything she said rhyme.

"No, not that. Not Shantotto herself, but what happened to her, and Gabranth…Gabranth said he was dead in his world, but Shantotto? What if she was alive? What if she was alive in her world leading a happy life, then she lost her battle here and was trapped?" Terra bit her lip. "What if that happens to one of us? If I had lost to Kefka, or you lost to Sephiroth, we could be trapped here too like Shantotto and Gabranth."

"But we didn't lose, did we?" Cloud reminded. "We killed them and won our Crystals. We aren't going to end up like that."

"Not just us." Terra turned around to look over the vast field stretching behind her. "How many others are trapped by the gods because they lost their battles? How many times has this cycle gone on? Ten victors in every cycle, and that means there's also ten losers. Ten more spirits trapped out there somewhere…" She trailed off, the thought not needing to be finished.

"I hadn't thought of it that way," Cloud said lowly. She was right. "There could be dozens for all we know."

"Exactly. There could be dozens, _should_ be," Terra nodded. "So why have we only met Shantotto and Gabranth? Shouldn't the remnants of the worlds be more populous with remnant spirits like them about?"

"Maybe they fade somehow," Cloud suggested. "I guess if you get trapped your spirit lingers only for so long."

"That's what bothers me, and something else. Hikari and Garland have fought before. So how is it they both endure? Why didn't one of them get trapped when he lost?" Terra was unable to stop herself now. These thoughts had been with her since they had left the temple and now that she was voicing them they were being vindicated by Cloud's agreement.

"He did say his Crystal was different," Cloud whispered, thinking back to his earlier musings "Maybe whatever makes their world's Crystal different is the reason why they both still exist."

"Maybe…or maybe it's the other way around," Terra said. "Do we even fully understand what the Crystals are?"

"They're the light of Cosmos, they're what give the worlds life…right?" Cloud said. That was what they'd been told in the past.

"Yes, but…I don't know," Terra shook her head. "I just feel something…that Void that has been appearing…I can feel something from it."

"I know, it's unnatural," Cloud nodded.

"Not that…when we were trapped in Order's Sanctuary and the Crystals saved us, before we vanished…I heard something…something in the Void. A voice, calling out to the Crystal." Terra's voice was the barest hint of a whisper now, her hands shaking slightly. "Something old…and powerful…living inside the Void. I've never felt anything so powerful before in my life, and it terrified me." It took Cloud a moment, but he realized what she meant.

"Shinryu?" he asked, beginning to share Terra's dread. The mage nodded.

"The great divine dragon that travels dimensions," she recited. "Shinryu _does_ exist, I've felt him now. And…I've seen him."

"_Seen_ him?" Cloud exclaimed, surprised. Terra nodded again.

"When my world fell, I looked into the sky and saw something flying through the clouds. I'd never seen it before, but I felt it look back at me. I think that was Shinryu."

"But isn't Shinryu supposed to be sleeping?" Cloud said. "How could it have been Shinryu then?"

"I don't know," Terra replied. "But I know it was Shinryu I heard when we fell into the Void. He called out to my Crystal there. And he definitely wasn't sleeping."

"Heeey!" the two looked up ahead to see Tidus waving back at them. "You're lagging, slow-pokes!" he called. "Let's get moving!"

"I guess we'll continue this later," Cloud said lightly. Terra nodded and the two set out to follow Tidus as he waited for them.

_"If that was Shinryu I saw that day, and I heard within the Void…then he isn't sleeping, he's awake and aware," _Terra thought, her eyes clouded. _"If he's already awake, then Gabranth lied to us. Shinryu isn't the one we need to be afraid of, if he was awake then this war should be over." _Terra made a sound in the back of her throat.

_"Divine dragon…what _are _you?"_

**Just a reminder about the new forums, and a warning you DO NOT want to miss the next chapter! Stayed tuned for what may be the most epic battle yet!**_  
_


	27. Descend Heartless Angel

Shards of Memory

Chapter 27

Descend Heartless Angel

"_**He who Death invited was born to an ill-fate / Do not call his name, for he shall come again. He who Death invited **__**/ to an ill punishment was fated /**__** Do not call out his name / For he shall come again"**_ – Latin Translation by Faethin of Final Fantasy Wiki.

* * *

"Another one bites the dust," Onion Knight sighed. The other four were silent as they watched the desert behind them crack apart into slabs of rock and sink into the Void, the swirling violet abyss glowing brightly in the setting sun. They had fortunately been beyond the desert and ascending the mountain path beyond it when the desert had begun to be destroyed, allowing them a chance to watch the full process of another world be consumed without fleeing in terror from it.

"It's getting faster now. Before we'd never seen anything like this. This is the third time since Cloud and I found our Crystals," Terra said. She couldn't understand why the Void hadn't appeared to them until they had joined Squall, Zidane and Bartz. Was it the Warriors of Cosmos coming together that was triggering its sudden rise? Or was it something about their Crystals?

"The power of light is fading," Cecil nodded. "It was the power of light that kept all worlds separate and safe. Now with Cosmos dead there is nothing to keep the Void from claiming them." Terra silently noted Cecil was wrong. The Void had appeared before Cosmos' death. He obviously just hadn't seen it beforehand, but she and Cloud had.

_"If they're consumed by the Void, are those worlds really gone? Or can we get them back?" _Cloud wondered. There was no way to know if the worlds – or rather, the stray remnants of them – that were falling into darkness could be restored, or if they were lost forever. Cloud wondered momentarily if any pieces of his world had been lost. It was highly likely he decided, but he didn't know which pieces had been consumed. What if Midgar and Edge had fallen into the Void? Would they come back when he restored his world?

_"When? You assume your victory is coming?" _Cloud inwardly groaned as the dark pessimistic voice in the back of his head reared its head. _"You face your most dangerous foe yet, and you assume you will prevail?"_

_ "We will, we have to. There's no other option." _Cloud countered.

_ "Failure is always an option. This isn't some fairy-tale where the hero always triumphs. Sometimes you simply aren't strong enough. You ought to have learned by now that you cannot win every battle, no matter what belief you cling to. Sometimes, the hero dies."_

_ "Shut up,"_ Cloud countered, not having a better comeback. The voice chuckled and faded, leaving him alone. Cloud knew full well that he could still fail. Chaos could appear before them at any moment and eradicate them without a fight. He had already demonstrated that even all ten of them, and Golbez and Jecht, were easily incapacitated. It bothered Cloud that the god had retreated so quickly after killing Cosmos and seemingly had taken no further action against them, but he decided not to question the turn of fortune for fear of tempting fate.

Cloud looked to the side as Terra and Tidus turned, and the group set out further along the mountain path. It seemed familiar somehow, but Cloud wasn't sure where he knew it. He had explored his fair share of mountains in his life between pursuing Sephiroth and working missions for Shinra, and after a while they had all begun to look the same to him. It didn't matter how many old mountain caves or abandoned mines he was sent to, the missions were usually the same so the terrain made little difference, and he just stopped paying attention after a while.

"What are you thinking?" Terra asked. Cloud blinked and turned to her.

"Oh…I think I recognize this mountain," he said. "But I'm not sure from where." He silently added that if it was indeed the place he thought, it could possibly lead somewhere they didn't need to go to.

"It's a mountain, they all look the same mostly," Onion Knight tossed over his shoulder up ahead, echoing Cloud's thoughts. "Reminds me a bit of a place I know from my world too."

"Yeah, I guess," Cloud said, still uneasy. He silently berated himself for continuing to doubt their path. Even without that voice mocking his efforts, he didn't like the idea of blindly following Shantotto's orders. Even if she was formerly a hero, it did nothing to change the fact they were going blind. Just how far were they meant to go? And what would they find that could help them get to Pandaemonium? Nothing was coming to mind, save for some sort of map.

"Do we want to stop and rest for the night?" Terra asked. "It could be risky if the Void appears, but it would be tiring to continue through the night and we'll have to stop sooner or later."

"We may as well stop now," Onion Knight said. "We just need to find a clearing or a cave or something to sleep in for the night." Beside him ahead of Terra, Tidus folded his hands behind his head.

"I can keep going, I'm not tired a bit," he said. "You guys gotta get in shape. I mean really, we've each saved the world at least once already, and you're tired after a little hike?"

"Some of us have suits of armor to carry," Cecil muttered. "Terra's right, we'll have to rest eventually, may as well do it at night." Tidus rolled his eyes but didn't argue further. The group turned a bend in the path, and a cave mouth came into view.

"Hey, that should work!" Onion Knight said, running into the cave. The others followed him inside, Cloud being the last to enter after Terra. His heart suddenly clenched as he saw the inside of the cavern. "This'll be great!" Onion Knight looked around with a grin. "Its even got indoor lighting!" he gestured to a pond in the middle of the cavern, a light green crystal formation erupting from its center. Bright green light shone from the crystals, illuminating the cavern. Old petrified trees lined the walls, their branches stretching over the roof and roots over the floor.

_"There is no way it can be what I think it is," _Cloud thought, watching his comrades inspect the cave. It couldn't possibly be that, could it? He let out a long breath. What was he thinking, of course it was. It had to be. Yet another place he didn't want to see again had been thrust into his path. This proved it then: fate had a very cruel sense of humor when it came to him.

"What is that?" Terra asked, approaching the crystal formation. She held a hand out, her fingers tingling as they hovered over the crystal. The soft green glow lit up her face in the same light. "I can feel power coming from it." It reminded her of the power she had sensed in the church when she had first met Cloud weeks ago. Cloud was right then, this place was from somewhere in his world.

"It's a Materia spring," Cloud whispered, walking closer to it. "Very rarely in my world, the Lifestream erupts on the surface in the form of Mako, and eventually crystallizes into Materia. Natural Materia like this takes decades to properly solidify before it can be used safely, so most of the Materia in use is produced artificially by Shinra."

"I thought it felt familiar," Terra nodded. "It reminds me of that church where we met, and your Materia, but different from it at the same time. It must be due to the differences in their creation."

"It's not like, gonna hurt us or anything?" Tidus asked, peering at it curiously.

"No, Mako is only harmful when you're exposed to it over a long period of time. This place is safe for now," Cloud replied.

"Then I say we call dibs and crash," Tidus grinned, looking around and sitting back on a raised tree root, reclining against the trunk. "This place is as good as any. We've got light, shelter."

"What about food?" Cecil asked. "We don't have any rations left."

"I'll look," Cloud announced. If this was indeed the place he thought, then he had to make sure. He had to see it with his own eyes. "I know this place, I can find my own way around. I'll look around and come back in a bit."

"I'll come with you," Terra said.

"No," Cloud said quickly. "I don't…the mountain's higher slopes are very treacherous, it's easy to get lost if you don't know the paths. It'd be best for me to go alone, you'd lose your way."

"You're sure?" Terra asked. Something was wrong, Cloud was on edge again. He did know the mountain, but he didn't seem pleased with that knowledge. She wanted to ask why, but if his response to her offer was an indication he wasn't going to be keen on answering.

"Yeah, trust me," Cloud nodded. He turned and headed towards the other end of the cave, out the exit they hadn't come in. Terra watched him go with a worried expression on her face. After so long together, she had realized the key difference and the key similarity between her and Cloud. They had both shouldered great burdens alone to save their worlds. But she had eventually come to terms with her burdens and now had accepted them and drew strength from them. Cloud's were still weighing on his mind.

"Is he always like that?" Onion Knight asked. "He seems a lot more moody than when I was around."

"He…has his reasons," Terra said hesitantly. "A lot happened while we were together. Little of it good." It would have taken too long to explain everything that had happened between her, Cloud and Sephiroth. Much of the story was best told from his perspective anyway.

"It happens," Tidus shrugged. "Bad things are gonna come at ya, that's part of life. You learn to deal eventually, that or lay down and die."

"So if Cloud can't deal with his problems he should just give up?" Terra asked, irritated slightly.

"Hey, I didn't mean it like that!" Tidus said defensively. "I'm just saying, you can't get so down like that, you gotta keep going or else you end up going nowhere…that second part made more sense in my head," he ran a hand through his hair. "Look, whatever's going on with Cloud he'll find a way to handle it sooner or later. No moving on in his life until he puts whatever's on his back to rest. Trust me, I know. Sitting around moping about how bad things are solves pretty much nothing." Terra looked at the cave exit.

"I hope you're right." It wasn't just Cloud that was on edge – her Esper side was following suit. She couldn't put her finger on it, but there was something amiss with this place. It wasn't the same dark feeling in the pit of her stomach the Void induced, but it was familiar…Terra looked over at her companions. Cecil was taking his armor off leaving him in dark blue and white undergarments, and was inspecting the armor for chinks and stains. Onion Knight was busy exploring the small cavern, occasionally casting a glance back at the glowing crystal in the center. Tidus was…

"Hey!" Terra turned her head and jumped as Tidus sat down beside her. He had managed to slip beside her without her noticing. She swallowed and smiled, calming her heart. "Sorry, scare ya?" Tidus asked with a sheepish smile.

"Yes, a little," Terra nodded. "What is it?"

"I was just wondering what happened to Cloud after he left us. I know he met up with you obviously, but I hope he didn't spend all that time wandering around on his own. It can get pretty lonely sometimes," Tidus explained.

"He didn't, he said when he met me he had only left you the day before," Terra said.

"We were worried and angry with him when Firion told us what had happened," Cecil offered, using a rag to wipe off his chestplate. "We thought about going after him, but Firion said he could handle himself, and that he had to go off on his own. We only agreed to continue on without him because Firion was so assured of his abilities."

"Yeah, but it was still pretty dumb of him to run off on his own," Tidus said. "That's the whole point of friends, we look out for each other and get each other's backs. Okay sure, go off and fight Sephiroth on your own, but you don't need to reach him on your own do you?"

"He had his reasons. And he turned out the better for it," Terra said quietly. "We helped each other." She turned her head away from Tidus, growing thoughtful. "He helped me understand things about myself I couldn't grasp alone…I think he would say I did the same for him too."

"And if nothing else you probably gave him some eye candy on the trip," Tidus grinned. Cecil shot him a small glare. Terra settled for turning back to him and lifting a thin eyebrow. "Hey, I'm just saying!" Tidus protested. "I mean, you are pretty cute."

"Thanks, I guess," Terra said dryly. "I doubt that's been on Cloud's mind though." She thought back to Cloud's descriptions of his relationships with Tifa and Aerith. As far as she could tell both could be considered his 'girlfriend' in their own ways, but Cloud hadn't indicated if he thought of either of them that way. "He doesn't strike me as the type to chase skirts."

"We all gotta end up with someone. No one wants to be alone their whole life," Tidus said, reclining and folding his hands behind his head. "Gives us something to look forward to when we go back home."

"You have families waiting for you?" Terra asked. She felt a bit silly asking, of course they did. But she didn't know much about the two, all her information about them had come from Cloud and the accounts were infrequent.

"Yes. I have a wife, a child, and a best friend. I've an entire kingdom," Cecil said. "I look forward to seeing my homeland again. Perhaps with my brother at my side, if fate is generous to us."

"Kingdom? You're a king?" Terra asked, surprised. Cecil nodded. "Cloud left that part out."

"Oh yeah, king for the better part of twenty years if I recall," Tidus said. "Never much got the whole ruler stuff myself, seems like too much work."

"It has its advantages. Baron suffered greatly at the hands of Go…Zemus," Cecil corrected himself before completing the name. "More than that, because of Baron's hand in Zemus' plans the rest of the world suffered as well, and indirectly it is our fault. It is my duty as Baron's ruler now to fix what my enemies tried to destroyed and restore our standing with the people."

"I guess, yeah. My world is pretty much fine with fixing itself," Tidus said. "Thinks may be a bit hectic but Spira can take care of itself. Society got a big overhaul when we destroyed Sin, gotta let the people find their own way of getting by now. Yuna and I help now and then, but mostly everyone's doing fine."

"Yuna, is that your girlfriend?" Terra asked. Tidus smiled brightly and nodded.

"Yeah. She's something else that girl. A few years ago she was all geared up ready to fight Sin and give her life to destroy it for the sake of the world, but I didn't want to let her go…in the end it worked out for the best, it was that stubbornness in both of us that ended up changing things. We destroyed Sin, but we had to give each other up when the Fayth died," Tidus said. Terra must have looked confused, because Tidus shrugged again. "It's a long story. I died, sorta, and eventually came back because Yuna wished for it. We've been together peacefully ever since."

"What's she like?" Terra asked. Tidus got a distant look in his eyes, and let out a small chuckle.

"She's a real piece of work. Sweet, loyal, caring. Very pretty. Don't make her mad though, she may be nice and kind on the outside but once that girl sets her mind to something she won't quit until it's over. Trust me, it's gotten her and me into trouble…luckily it usually gets us back out of it, eventually." Tidus suddenly looked forlorn. "We didn't know each other for that long as first, but…we really bonded. I'd been with girls before her, but something about her really got to me. She was surrounded by friends and protectors her whole life, but she was still alone…I guess I kinda connected with that." Tidus reached into his pocket. "Here, wanna see her?" he held out his hand, a glowing blue half-sphere surrounded by a white ring in his palm.

"What is it?" Terra asked.

"It's the Crystal of my world. We call them Spheres, they can produce energy, or store images and messages. Here, hold it in your hand and focus your mind on it," Tidus said. Terra took the sphere and closed her eyes, reaching out her powers. Images began to flow into her mind, murky at first but becoming clearer as she focused. An image came into view of a young woman in a white and blue outfit sitting on a hill before a sunset. As the image became clearer, hushed whispers became louder until she could make out complete sentences.

_"__I cried after we got to Besaid, too. When you tried to go after leaving me in care of the temple...I held on to you, crying, "Don't go, don't go!"_

"See her?" Tidus asked.

"Yes," Terra replied, the image wavering slightly. "And hear her too." She focused on hearing what the woman was saying.

_ "__I guess that leaves…the newest guardian. Star player of the Zanarkand Abes! You are…I am…well, um…I'm glad…I'm glad that we met. We haven't even known each other that long, but…it's funny. So this is what it feels like. It's a much more wonderful feeling than anything I had ever imagined…"_

Terra suddenly opened her eyes, the image and voices fading as she realized what she had listened too.

"What's wrong?" Tidus asked. Terra handed the sphere back to him.

"She said…you…I don't think that's the sort of stuff a stranger needs to hear," she said gently.

"…oh yeah, right," Tidus laughed nervously. "Sorry, I forgot the last little bit of that gets a bit personal." Terra nodded, and the two let out a laugh together.

There was a spark in the back of Terra's mind and she was on her feet before she knew it. Her thoughts raced. Somewhere, there was a large spike of energy. Something was happening on the mountain. Something bad.

"What's up? Onion Knight asked, noticing her stance from the other side of the cave. Terra didn't hear him, her focus on pinpointing the location of the energy spike. It was powerful and sinister.

_"The mountain summit…Cloud."_

* * *

Cloud's boots crunched against the dirt and rock of the mountain, mentally following a memorized path. Every step brought him closer to what he knew he would find at the mountain's summit, and his heart thudded in his ears. He didn't want to see that place but couldn't help himself – he _had_ to see it. Had to return to the place everything in his life had begun to go wrong, the place where everything he knew was shattered in a few short days. Cloud rounded a bend in the mountain and the object of his obsession came into sight.

"There you are," he whispered, staring at it blankly. The distant setting sun cast an orange huge over the building, a mass of ugly gray and green steel rising out of the dirt, pipes stretching into the air. A long staircase led up to the entrance of the structure, a set of thick steel doors. Emblazoned on the side near the top was a large red and white diamond logo proudly displaying the acronym SEC in gold letters.

The Mt. Nibel Mako Reactor.

"If I had my way I'd burn this place to the ground," Cloud suddenly growled, not realizing what he had said before he had said it. He thought though and decided he had meant it. He walked closer to the reactor, his eyes darting around the area. He half-expected Sephiroth to appear perched on the top of the reactor, or to be waiting for him behind the doors. Cloud had seen Sephiroth vanish, but he didn't know for sure he was dead. He wouldn't put it out of the realm of possibility for his archenemy to resurrect himself yet again and return for another battle.

Cloud reached the base of the reactor and turned to face the door atop the stairs. He took the steps two at a time and drew the Buster Sword over his head. He grunted and slammed it into the platform atop the stairs, sending a blast of green energy across the ground. The door crumbled inward and blew open with the force. The inside of the reactor was dark, the only light coming from the dim blue-green glow of the pit of Mako below. Cloud walked a few feet inside the doorway to the edge of the platform, returning the Buster Sword to his back. His eyes were fixed on the doorway below at the end of the catwalk leading deeper into the reactor. Cloud slowly placed his hands on the railing.

_"Sephiroth!"_

_ "Mother…"_

Cloud's grip tightened, his teeth gritting. That fateful day was still hazy, but he remembered the smells and the sounds. The smell of raw Mako, the sound of Sephiroth's labored breathing in time with slow, uneven footsteps…the smell and feel of his own blood as the Masamune pierced his chest. With a cry, Cloud hefted himself up, put a boot on the railing and leapt. He landed in a crouch in front of the doorway, his books clanging against the steel. He stood upright and entered. In this inner chamber, the glow of the Mako didn't reach, and Cloud was cast into darkness. He reached into the pouch on his waist and withdrew his Thunder Materia. His eyes adjusting to the shadows, he turned and sent a low-power jolt of lightning into a control panel set into the wall.

The lights flickered and came on, sparks flying from the control panel. Cloud turned and looked back up the stairs. The dull gray tanks were empty from what he could see, for sure at least the glow from the windows in them was gone. The door atop the chamber was sealed shut, the word JENOVA printed above it on the wall. Cloud's fingered clenched, his hand shaking.

_"Don't…test me!"_

_ "Sephiroth!"_

"Sephiroth…" Cloud lowered his head, memories of that day flashing before his eyes. With a roar of rage, Cloud grabbed the Buster Sword's handle and slammed it into the nearest tank. The tank crumbled instantly under the force, revealing it was indeed empty. Cloud was panting, his eyes blazing. He turned his head and swung, letting go of the Buster Sword's handle. It spun through the air and sliced into another tank, pressurized air hissing out of the gash the sword cut. Cloud turned to the tanks on the other side of the stairs and held out his hand, the Thunder Materia glowing brightly and sending a storm of electricity out. The tanks sparked and exploded as their systems were overloaded. He turned his arm and fired another blast at the control panel. The lighting fixtures in the ceiling flashed and exploded, sending a rain of broken glass into chamber. The room was unlit again but not in total darkness due to the small flickers of flame coming from the destroyed tanks.

Cloud fell to his hands and knees, breathing heavily. He closed his eyes as his anger burned itself out, leaving a few tears to slide down his cheeks. He remained like that for several minutes before lifting his head. The light of the fire flickered across the surface of the Buster Sword. He pushed himself up and reached for it. The sword held on the first pull, he pulled hard and it came free with a metallic screech. Cloud stared at the sword in silence and slid it back over his shoulder. He looked down at his Thunder Materia, it's usual glow fainter now with so much energy being expended, and returned it to his waist.

"That'll do for now," he muttered, marching out of the room. He swiftly walked over the catwalk and climbed the ladder, not looking back. As soon as he exited the reactor the wind suddenly picked up, blowing Cloud's bangs around. He stopped and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. He waited for a moment without moving, growing impatient.

"Cut the games and show yourself," he whispered. "I know you're here." There was a distant, almost indistinct rustle, and Cloud opened his eyes. He walked down the steps of the reactor, staring ahead at the edge of the mountain ahead. He headed towards the figure, his quelled anger rising again.

"Took you long enough," he muttered, his eyes narrowing slightly. "I was wondering when you'd show up. I know better by now than to assume you dead no matter how you die." Ahead of him, standing on the cliff overlooking the mountain below, Sephiroth lowered his head and closed his eyes, not turning around to face him. The wind whipped his hair out over his shoulder.

"But of course. I cannot die, Cloud," he whispered. "My shadow is burned into your heart. My cells infest your body, protecting my spirit from complete dissolution no matter how many times you strike me down. As long as you live, you will never be able to escape me. And so it is I've returned again to claim my vengeance."

"So what, you want more?" Cloud called angrily, grabbing the handle of the Buster Sword and swinging it forward. "Bring it! I'm not in the mood for this anymore! I'm more than strong enough to take you out again, so let's get it over with." Sephiroth opened his eyes and turned.

"Don't delude yourself," he chuckled darkly. "The power of light is too weak to pose a threat anymore. Chaos' power grows by the minute. The worlds are sinking into oblivion. By the time your allies reach the Chaos Shrine, the ground under their feet will be set to collapse and the light of her Materia will not be enough to save you a second time. It is best that you act out your latent aggression and despair now. There is nothing you can do to stop the destruction of your worlds, so enjoy the sight while you can."

"We'll see about that," Cloud shot back. "We'll kill Chaos, and restore the balance. You aren't going to stop me, you can't kill me and I'm not going to fall for your head games anymore. You're just a nuisance Sephiroth. I'm not afraid of you anymore, and I haven't been for a long time."

"Please, spare me the false courage," Sephiroth sneered. "I have been defeated many times in the past, it is true…but not again, not anymore. I am at my peak of power, stronger than I ever was before. Chaos has given me back my full strength and I will use it. I did not come to spar, or to taunt. I have come here to rectify my most grievous mistake, and kill you Cloud. You will not walk away from this battle." Sephiroth raised his hand over his head, stretching his arm to the sky. Cloud looked up and tensed as the clouds overhead darkened. Thunder rumbled as the sky turned black, the sun's light obscured. Swirls of green and black energy circled Sephiroth's arm, flowing up to his hand and gathering in his palm. With a flash the Masamune appeared in his grasp.

"What's wrong? Are you scared after all?" he asked, bringing the blade over his shoulder. Cloud had taken a single step back, his hesitation and worry showing on his face. "Have you given up already?" Cloud lowered his eyes back down and let out a growl.

"Hardly. Storm clouds don't do much to intimidate me," he said. "If you're trying to freak me out you'll need to do better than that." Sephiroth snorted.

"Always so insolent…so arrogant…it is long past for you to be put in your place." Sephiroth suddenly swung his sword out, a large band of violet energy firing towards Cloud. Cloud lifted the Buster Sword as the wave neared.

"Cloud!"

A wall of blue light appeared in front of Cloud. The energy wave hit it and dispersed into orbs of purple and blue light. Sephiroth turned his head with an expression of disgust. Cloud turned around and saw where the wall of light had come from.

"Terra?" he muttered as the young woman ran up the path towards him. "What are you doing here?"

"I knew there was something wrong with you, I could tell it from your voice," she said, stopping beside Cloud and looking at Sephiroth. "A good thing I came too."

"Yeah, he's back," Cloud said. On the bluff ahead Sephiroth assumed a more relaxed position, his eyes glowing in the dim light. Silver hair whipped in front of his face as the wind picked up, thin lips curling into a sinister smirk.

"So, you both wish to face your deaths at my hand?" Sephiroth asked. He turned his eyes towards Terra. "It is almost touching that you would risk your life to try and protect him. Another woman made that same choice once. Tell her how that went, Cloud. Tell her how you stood and watched helplessly. Tell Terra how you let Aerith die. Will you make the same mistake with her?"

"Shut up!" Cloud snapped. "You don't have any right to talk about her, either of them! I didn't let her die, _you _killed her. Your tricks won't work anymore so don't waste your time!"

"You're just like him," Terra whispered. "You taunt and manipulate us to try and mess with our heads because you're afraid of us. You can't beat us in a fair battle so you try to turn us against each other and make us doubt ourselves." Terra took a step forward. "You're just as much a coward as Kefka was!" Sephiroth's smirk vanished, his eyes narrowing into a chilling glare.

"You overstep your bounds, girl," he said cruelly, his voice barely a whisper. The clouds overhead rumbled, and waves of dark green and violet energy swirled down from them. The tendrils coiled through the air as Sephiroth levitated, his coat waving in the air. "Yet, you speak the truth. I tire of these manipulations, and tire of holding back. No longer." The Masamune's tip was raised into the air, until Sephiroth was holding it over his head. The dark energy snaked around the blade and down his arm, covering his body. A deep purple aura lit up over Sephiroth's body.

"Now, enough talk," he whispered. "Cloud!" Sephiroth locked eyes with him. "Gaze upon my ultimate power for the final time!" Sephiroth threw his head back, his entire body exploding in an array of dark light. His eyes lit up in a bright green glow. Cloud and Terra turned away and raised their hands to shield themselves. The light shone for several seconds, and Cloud turned his head to look up through his hands.

And his eyes went wide in horror.

Sephiroth's coat was gone, leaving his chest bare. His hair fluttered behind him as he tilted his head back down, slowly opening his eyes. The Masamune was still firmly in his left hand, his familiar black wing outstretched over his right shoulder, a few stray black feathers falling from it. However, Cloud barely noticed it. His attention was focused on the other wings.

Six bright white wings emerged from Sephiroth's hips, their tips stained lavender and pale yellow. They flapped slowly, obscuring Sephiroth's legs and face as they rose and fell. Sephiroth slowly descended to the ground, his boots touching down softly. The six wings came to rest, their tips brushing the dirt. Besides Cloud, Terra lowered her hands as well and gasped.

"What is that?" she whispered.

"It can't be…" Cloud said to himself, staring in horror. Memories of the fateful battle in the middle of the Northern Crater flashed before his eyes. He and his friends had nearly died more than once during their descent into the planet's core, confronted by the most powerful fiends and monster Sephiroth could manifest from the Lifestream. Then, at the heart of the planet were Holy slept confined by Sephiroth's power…Cloud had thought that nightmare had been a one-time battle, the first, last and only time Sephiroth would take such a form for combat. _"Is this the full power Chaos has returned to him? This…"_

"Where is your bravado now?" Sephiroth asked, holding his hands out to the side. "What courage and defiance do you have left to show me?" Cloud swallowed heavily and tightened his grip on the Buster Sword. He looked at the sword's handle and noticed his hands were shaking. "It seems you have finally begun to understand…no more games. No more holding back. No more schemes I need either of you alive for. This is your final battle, the both of you," Sephiroth sneered.

"We'll beat him," Terra said, noticing Cloud's hesitation. She reached over and laid a hand over his. Cloud looked down at the gesture, then up at her face. "We've come too far to let him win now," she said, holding his eyes.

"Yeah…yeah," Cloud agreed, taking a breath. The two turned back to Sephiroth, Terra lowering her hand. Sephiroth closed his eyes. The swirls of dark energy circling them grew tighter. The rumble of thunder overhead grew louder in kind. With a flourish and a flap of wings, Sephiroth leapt back off the bluff to float in the air. A bolt of lightning cracked down on the mountain in the distance behind him, momentarily illuminating him from behind.

"When last we clashed as I was like this, your strength was eight. This time you are both alone…" he said lowly, his wings resuming their flapping to carry him higher into the air. "You have struggled through so much together, and thus it is fitting you die together." Cloud reached into his pouch and slotted his Thunder Materia into the Buster Sword, the blade lighting up. Terra reached to her waist and drew her sword, her hands lighting up in a blue aura.

"This is your end," Sephiroth declared, sneering down at them. Six white wings and lone black wing snapped out to their full length, Sephiroth extending his arms to the side, the Masamune's blade pulsing a deep violet color.

"The fantasy ends here at last!"


	28. Into the Depths of Darkness

Shards of Memory

**Just a note, those of you into the more "mature" aspects of CloudxTerra may want to go pay a visit to AdultFanfiction - I've posted an X-rated CloudxTerra story there. It has no relation to this story though, so if you're not interested don't worry,**

Chapter 28

Into the Depths of Darkness

**"_With right hand wet with blood he thrust. And with his sword my breast he cleft, My quaking heart thereout he reft, And in the yawning of my breast, A coal of living fire he pressed."_ – Alexander Pushkin, "The Prophet".**

* * *

Cloud leapt up, Terra pushing off the ground and flying alongside him. Sephiroth waved a hand, a ring of dark energy orbs appearing around him. With a second flick of the wrist they flew forward. Terra surged ahead of Cloud, firing orbs of flame at the orbs as they neared. They exploded on contact in bursts of purple and red light. Cloud charged through their wake and swung the Buster Sword towards Sephiroth's head. The Masamune blocked it, the blade pulsing. Sephiroth swung and knocked Cloud aside. Terra turned her head as he fell and held out a hand. A horizontal wall of blue energy appeared, Cloud landing on it with a soft grunt. He looked up at Terra and tossed her a nod, climbing to his feet on the magical platform.

"You're proving more trouble than you're worth," Sephiroth muttered, glaring at Terra. He lifted a hand to the clouds. Spirals of black energy circled down, twisting through the air and flying at Terra. She flew forward, blasts of fire and ice launching from her palms. The dark tendrils dispersed into orbs of darkness, then reformed and resumed the chase moments after. Terra looked behind her at her pursued and fired another fireball, two tendrils breaking apart. She looked forward and gasped as a larger tendril rushed towards her. It slammed into her face-first, consuming her in a torrent of dark energy, the wind cutting her like razors. With a larger gust the blast subsided and she was flung away, blood dripping from her cheeks and arms. She landed on the ground below heavily.

"Sephiroth!" Cloud roared. Sephiroth turned his attention down. "Leave her out of this!" Cloud leapt up, bringing the Buster Sword over his shoulder. Sephiroth slowly smiled. As Cloud came closer, five dark tendrils gathered in front of Sephiroth, wrapping around each other and rushing him as one large rope. Cloud was pushed back, the darkness tearing at his clothes and skin. He landed on the ground and skidded back as he fell to his knees, gasping for breath. Behind him, Terra slowly climbed to her feet, stumbling slightly. Flying high above the two, Sephiroth waved his hand through the air. More tendrils formed out of thin air and began circling the air around him, the sky a flurry of dark energy. He chuckled lowly, wings flapping their steady rhythm.

"He's stronger than ever," Terra whispered, holding her arm where one particularly large gash oozed blood. Blue energy surrounded it to heal it as she stepped up beside Cloud. "He hasn't laid a hand on either of us and he's already got us bloodied." Cloud nodded, watching Sephiroth above them.

"I've got to get up to him," he said, turning his head her way. "Can you get me there?" Terra nodded. Above Sephiroth drew his hand back and send the tendrils around him spiralling down.

"Go," she urged. Cloud held the Buster Sword back and leapt up again, Terra flying after him. Cloud reached the peak of his jump and began to descend when a barrier rippled into place under his feet. He coiled and jumped again, the barrier dispersing as quickly as it had formed and a second appearing ahead. Terra flew up along side him, one arm held out to manifest supports for Cloud as the two headed for Sephiroth. Her other hand was occupied sending out orbs of white energy to stop the tendrils circling them from striking. Sephiroth scowled and swung the Masamune, sending a large beam of energy forward. Terra turned and flew away as it cut the air in her wake, a flurry of tendrils following her down. Cloud landed on her final support and jumped, swinging the Buster Sword towards Sephiroth. Sephiroth looked back up at him and sneered.

"Please."

Sephiroth vanished in a flash of black and white feathers as the Buster Sword cleaved through where his chest had been. There was a rush of wind, and Cloud felt steel cut into his back, Sephiroth reappearing behind him. Another rush, and the Masamune was whipped across his face, cutting his left cheek and nose. A third, and Sephiroth appear in front of him and brought his sword down in an overhead cleave, cutting Cloud's shirt entirely in two from behind and pitching him back. Terra looked up at him as he fell and flew up. Ahead of her the dark tendrils were growing more numerous, three of them circling up to aim at Cloud. She narrowly dodged two only to be struck by a third and driven back. Within the darkness Terra gritted her teeth and snapped an arm out, an orb of blue light flying up into the air.

"Cloud!"

Cloud looked down as the orb flew into his chest, flashing and expanding into an field of energy. His fall stopped, his feet touching the orb's bottom. The dark tendrils slammed into the orb, driving it upwards. The orb and darkness exploded in a flash of bright blue light, Cloud emerging from the smoke with the Buster Sword spinning over his head.. Sephiroth scowled and dove down, bringing back the Masamune. The two swords clashed in a shower of sparks, wisps of green and purple energy flowing along their edges. Sephiroth twisted, flipping Cloud through the air and holding up his hand. A beam of green energy fired at Cloud, red rings pulsing from it in its wake. Cloud was pushed back into a large pillar of dark smoke that appear in the air. The darkness snaked around his wrists and ankles. Cloud turned his head to see his limbs bound, and watched as he was stretched out in the air. He looked forward to see Sephiroth slowly descend in front of him, eyes glowing in the darkness.

"How many times have we been here?" Sephiroth asked, his wings flapping slowly as he floated in front of Cloud. "How many times have I held you at my mercy, and squandered my chance to finish you?" he looked at the Buster Sword. With a near invisible jerk of the hand, the darkness binding Cloud's wrist tightened sharply. Cloud let out a cry of pain, and Sephiroth swung the Masamune to knock the Buster Sword from his grasp. Cloud looked down at the broadsword spun down through the air, vanishing into the mist of the mountain below.

"Sephiroth…" Cloud panted, looking into his eyes. "This isn't…"

"Don't play me a fool," Sephiroth sneered. He floated backwards and lifted his hand. Cloud froze as the Masanune's tip traced over his cheek, sliding up to the shallow cut from earlier that had stained Cloud's face with blood. "There is no escape this time." Sephiroth drew his hand back and sliced, drawing a diagonal across Cloud's torso. The tattered uniform fell away, leaving Cloud's chest bare. "No last-minute bursts of strength." Another cut, this one drawing blood. Cloud's head snapped back at the sudden pain. "No friends to save you." A third slice across the collar and shoulder. Cloud's head fell forward, his eyes clenched. He would have collapsed if not for the bonds holding him upright. "This time," Sephiroth said lowly, bringing the Masamune's tip to Cloud's chest. "I end it."

Cloud looked up, a small bit of blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. In the distance behind Sephiroth Terra floated into the air. Cloud turned back to Sephiroth. The angel's attention was focused squarely on him.

"You seem to be drawing this out like usual though," Cloud muttered, distracting him as Terra flew forward. Sephiroth chuckled. Behind him, Terra lifted an arm, a blue aura forming over her hand. "Maybe you haven't learned after all."

"I want it to sink in how helpless you are," he said. "You cannot stop me this time." Suddenly, Sephiroth vanished, Terra flinging her hand forward and firing a burst of magic where he had been a moment earlier. He reappeared in front of her and wrapped his fingers around her neck. Bands of shadow energy appeared over her wrists, binding her arms outright while Sephiroth choked. Terra cried out as he choked her, staring at her coldly. "And neither can you," he whispered, bringing his sword back. The Masamune lashed back and forth in the air, moving like liquid steel. Terra let out cries of agony as Sephiroth attacked her, more cuts and gashes carving into her body.

"Terra!"

The half-esper battered and bleeding, Sephiroth grabbed her ponytail and spun in the air, hurtling her to the ground below. Terra hit in a cloud of dust and rolled onto her stomach, her fingers twitching weakly.

"No…" Cloud whispered, staring down at her with wide eyes.

"As I said," Sephiroth repeated, rising up in front of him. "There are no friends to save you this time." He drew the Masamune over his shoulder, thunder rumbling in the clouds overhead. "Goodbye Cloud." The sword drove forward and impaled Cloud's chest. Cloud let out a scream, and Sephiroth withdraw his weapon and stabbed again. A third stab, and Cloud let out a weak gurgle. He looked up in time to Sephiroth offer a final cruel smile, before he stabbed again. Cold steel pierced Cloud's heart, Sephiroth diving forward to drive the sword into the hilt. Cloud's hands snapped up to his shoulders, weakly clenching at the steel pauldrons. The sword twisted, and Cloud gave out a weak groan. Sephiroth flew back, withdrawing the Masamune, and brought it down in a two-handed cleave.

Cloud's eyes snapped open, his heart thudding in his ears. A band of bright violet energy cut the air where Sephiroth had slashed. He felt air rush over his wrists and ankles, and slowly turned his eyes upwards to see Sephiroth hold out a hand. Within a split second he registered he was beginning to fall, when a blast of green energy erupted into his chest. The attack drove Cloud down, slamming him into the ground and sending chunks of dirt and rock flying into the air. The impact left a small crater in the ground, smoke billowing upwards. Sephiroth lowered his hand and hovered in the air, wings flapping in a steady beat.

Several feet away, Terra turned to where Cloud had hit. She pushed herself up, coughing, and ran through the smoke.

"Cloud!" she called, tripping over a stone and falling to her hands and knees. She looked up to see Cloud limp in the center of the crater. His shirt was in tatters in the dirt around him, his chest bare and covered in bloody wounds. His head was rolled to the side, his eyes closed. "Cloud!" Terra crawled over to him and grabbed his shoulder to roll him towards her. He didn't respond to her calls. "Cloud, wake up, he's still there," she whispered, shaking him. Terra looked down and pressed a hand to his stomach in preparation for a healing spell, and stilled.

His chest wasn't moving.

"Cloud, come on," she said more urgently, her palms lighting up. Her breathing quickened as the spell failed to take effect. She let out a muffled gasp. The Cure spell wasn't working…the only time curative spells didn't work…

"No," she whispered, shaking her head. "Cloud!" Terra cast the spell again, her hand lighting up and going dark. Tears began to roll down her face as she resorted to slapping his cheek, her other hand holding Cloud's head up. He still didn't respond. "No…he…he can't…" Terra clenched a fist and collapsed forward, burying her face in Cloud's chest. Warm tears mixed with warm blood as she sobbed, her hair falling over the sides of her face. Cloud still didn't move.

"At last…" Sephiroth chuckled darkly, tilting his head back. "Free of that meddling fool after all these years…" his wings stretched out. "Such freedom…" he closed his eyes. "When our world is remade, there will be no-" Sephiroth stopped as he sensed a spike of energy, and tilted his head down. The clouds above rumbled in his ears. The wind around him picked up, blowing dirt and a single stray black feather through the air, spiralling downwards to the mountain. Terra's hair was blown out to the side in the wind, her hair whipping over her face as she lifted her head from Cloud's body. With a crack of lightning in the distance, blond turned to bright green in an instant. Terra slowly climbed to her feet, a blood-red aura appearing over her entire body. Her eyes blazed bright pink as she stood upright and turned and lifted her head to lock eyes with Sephiroth. She stood silently for a moment, and then whispered three words so faint they were nearly lost to the wind.

"You will pay."

Terra launched herself upwards, her skin sparking and turning pink as she flew towards Sephiroth, her hair coming loose from its ribbon and growing longer along her back. Sephiroth lifted a hand and fired a barrage of energy orbs at the transformed Esper coming at him. With a bestial snarl Terra snapped out a claw, white orbs of her own shooting out. Explosions of energy rang out in the air. Terra didn't even flinch as two exploded right before her face. She lifted a claw and slashed the air. Sephiroth scowled and lifted the Masamune to block her strike.

"So this is your true form," he hissed. "An Esper's rage unleashed in the wake of his death? Your power is impressive, but I don't fear it."

"I'll fix that for you!" Terra snapped, pushing the Masamune aside and bringing her other claw up. Sephiroth flapped to the side, the tips of Terra's claw passing in front of his face. Sparks flew as Terra rapidly slashed at him, the Masamune deflecting and catching each blow. Terra flipped back and lashed her arms out, crescent-shaped bands of energy flying forward. Sephiroth vanished in a swarm of darkness, reappearing behind her and swinging his sword. Terra narrowly dodged and lifted a hand to fire a blast of magic into his chest at point-blank range. With an undignified grunt Sephiroth was knocked back in the air, his wings flapping in a frenzied fashion. Terra flew at him as he regained his bearings and turned to her.

"Do not grieve," he hissed as he dodged her strikes. "You'll be soon to join him!" Sephiroth caught Terra's next attack with his free hand and swung the Masamune to knock her backwards. Dark energy tendrils formed in the air around her and spun together, trapping Terra in a cyclone of darkness. She gritted her teeth and held her palms together, an orb of blue energy forming. The orb exploded in a bright flash of light, destroying the cyclone. Before she could react, steel sliced into her stomach and she doubled over in pain. An upward slash carved a deep gash on her face and made her arc backwards in a howl of agony. Sephiroth thrust his arm into her stomach, a flurry of energy orbs sending her flying backwards. Terra turned in the air as Sephiroth lifted his hand, a dark black orb appearing hovering in his grasp. A storm of meteorites rushed Terra, knocking her around in the air and sending her falling to the ground. Sephiroth watched as she landed and snorted.

"Foolish girl…" Terra lay on her side, coughing weakly. With a flash of red and violet light, the transformation reverted, leaving her smeared in dirt and blood, blond hair matted with both sticking to her forehead. Terra slowly rolled onto her stomach and pushed herself onto her hands and knees, her eyes half-closed. Behind her Sephiroth descended to the ground and walked towards her. Thunder rumbled overhead, small droplets of rain beginning to fall. Terra looked over her shoulder, the blurry image of Sephiroth raising the Masamune over his head coming into focus.

"Cloud! Terra!" Terra and Sephiroth turned their heads to the path up to the reactor. Cecil, Tidus and Onion Knight were running towards her. As he noticed what was happening, Onion Knight picked up the pace and drew his sword. Sephiroth turned back to Terra and swung. She lifted her arm and erected a barrier within a nick of time, the force of the blow spinning her onto her back with a cry. The Onion Knight came closer and lifted his sword.

"Back off!" he snapped, diving at Sephiroth. Sephiroth gracefully leapt backwards, leaving the knight to tumble to the ground. Tidus and Cecil moved in behin him, weapons at the ready.

"Hmph. A temporary reprieve," he muttered, the Masamune disappearing in a flash of green light. Cecil pulled Terra to her feet, and the girl turned to Sephiroth. He held her gaze and chuckled darkly.

"One down."

With a crackle of lightning and a flurry of feathers, Sephiroth vanished. Terra turned away from Cecil and took two steps before her knees buckled and she fell, catching herself before she hit the ground. The rain was falling harder now as she pushed herself out of the mud and stumbled forward.

"We heard an explosion. What happened?" Cecil asked. Terra reached Cloud and crumpled to her knees in the mud. She pulled herself closer and looked at his face for any sign of response. None came.

"I tried…Cloud…" she whispered, laying a hand on his cheek. "I…I…tri…" exhaustion finally overtook her and she fell onto his chest, the faint cries behind her falling on deaf ears.

* * *

Hikari stopped suddenly, his breathing catching. He focused and tried to determine precisely what he had just sensed.

"What's up?" Zidane asked, running in front of him. Hikari raised a hand to his chest.

"A Crystal…its light has done dim…" he whispered. His hand clenched. "Chaos' forces…have claimed one of us."

"Claimed…you mean?" Zidane said. Hikari closed his eyes.

"I fear we ten…are now as nine."

* * *

Terra let out a soft murmur and cracked open her eyes. Her vision was blurry, images of green light and brown and grey walls coming into focus slowly.

"She's awake!" Terra saw Onion Knight move to fill her field of vision, a hand reaching out to her. "Terra? Hey, Terra!"

"Wha…"

"Give her room, she was heavily injured," Cecil said, putting a hand on Onion Knight's shoulder to pull him back. "We found you up on the mountain, we healed your wounds as best we could but you were weak from your battle. That was Sephiroth up there wasn't it?" Terra stared at him in confusion, eyes still half-closed. Memories of the battle flooded back to her in a split second, and she jumped to her feet, crying out and clutching her hip as she did so.

"Careful, you're still a bit sore. Magic can't do everything you know," Tidus lectured. Terra ignored him and looked around the cave, spying Cloud propped against the wall.

"Cloud!" she ran up to him and knelt beside him. She reached out to him and shook him.

"Terra," Cecil said softly. "Don't. We tried." Terra stopped when she noticed Cecil was right – Cloud's chest was still, his head slumped to the side. She felt her eyes begin to water and threw her arms around him. She sniffed but held back the tears, clenching her eyes shut to help will them away.

"What happened?" Onion Knight asked. Fury filled Terra's eyes as she opened them again.

"Sephiroth happened," she replied, pulling away from Cloud. "He's stronger than before. Cloud and I…we didn't stand a chance." Terra turned to them. "You got there in time to save me, didn't you?" she asked. Tidus nodded.

"Yeah, we were a bit worried when we heard the storm begin but figured you two were okay. Then we heard an explosion and decided to try and find out what was going on." Tidus sighed. "I guess…we got there too late." Terra gave a sharp now, turning back to Cloud. All things considered, in the back of her mind she had thought they were doing well. They had gathered almost all the Crystals, dispatched their archenemies again…then she had reached the mountain summit and seen Sephiroth alive in his new form. That the swordsman could overpower the both of them with such ease, Terra hadn't anticipated.

"_We'll beat him. We've come too far to let him win now."_

"_I'm an idiot," _Terra thought bitterly, her own words echoing in her head. _"It doesn't matter how far we go, who we face…it's never too far to lose." _Her hands clenched in the tatters of Cloud's shirt still hanging from his suspenders and belt. _"I thought we'd win easily. Cloud beat him before, how much stronger could he be now, especially with two of us? I underestimated him…"_ She swallowed a rising sob and took a shaking breath. _"I'm sorry Cloud. I didn't know…"_

"We're gonna move on after the storm is over, right?" Tidus asked. Terra looked over her shoulder. "I mean, not to be insensitive, but we've gotta keep going." Cecil looked at Terra.

"I know what it is like to see comrades die in battle. I've known the feelings you're experiencing now too many times for my tastes. I also know that when it happens in situations like this, you have to keep going in spite of the pain. There will be time to grieve later, but for now we need to find Shantotto's secret and rescue Golbez and Jecht."

"I know," Terra said. She stood up and took a deep breath. "We need to go. Now."

"Now?" Onion Knight asked. "Like, 'right now', that now?"

"Cecil's right, completely right." Terra turned. Her eyes were steeled, looking among her three comrades unflinching. "We need to find them and get to the Chaos Shrine. Chaos and his minions will pay for what they've done."

"Terra, I understand you're upset. But it's one thing to press on in the face of loss and another to seek vengeance," Cecil warned. "You're being irrational." Terra turned back to him.

"Last time I checked, seeking vengeance is what we've been doing ever since we woke up here," she said. "Isn't it? Trying to kill them to get our worlds back? I'm not losing my head. I just know what I have to do now. Sephiroth took Cloud from us, like Chaos took everything else from us. And we are _going_ to repay the favor." She meant it. She remembered the desire for vengeance, she had tasted it when she had fought Humbaba and she had tasted it when she regained her memories and realized Gestahl was personally responsible for the death of her parents. The need to avenge Cloud was there yes. She tempered it with resolve and focus, harnessed it and held it back. There would be plenty of opportunities to unleash that rage later…when they found Sephiroth again…

"We can't go now, it's still raining," Onion Knight protested, gesturing to the cave mouth.

"I'm not afraid of water." Terra knelt back down and reached into Cloud's pouch. Her hand came out grasping Cloud's Crystal. She noted quietly the Crystal's glow wasn't as bright as before, its normal bright green a duller shade, its swirling depths now solid. She tucked it into a pocket on her skirt. _"I'll protect it now. I promise."_

"We can wait until the morning," Cecil agreed. "Besides you're still weak, you need your rest. The adrenaline rush you're feeling now will only take you so far." Terra thought for a moment, and finally relented.

"Alright," she said. "But let's pick up the pace. Golbez and Jecht need our help."

* * *

"_Hey! You waking up?"_

The voice shouting at him echoed slightly as Golbez drifted awake, his head swimming. With a deep moan he slowly cracked open his eyes. Blue floors, purple walls…Golbez opened his eyes fully and took in his surroundings in clearer detail. Red and beige protrusions ran along the walls pulsing like veins. Pillars of light blue and violet rose from floor to ceiling, arcane lettering carved into their sides.

"Hey big guy, over here," Jecht called. Golbez turned his head to see Jecht on the opposite side of the room, his wrists and ankles chained to two larger pillars. His posture was lax against the wall behind him but the chains were short enough to keep him from going much farther. "About time you woke up. You've been out of it ever since we got left behind," Jecht said.

"Left…behind…" Golbez muttered, remembering the events at Order's Sanctuary. He took a step towards Jecht and felt a pull on his ankle. He looked down to see a band of metal running around it, and followed the chain to another pillar. He lifted his hands and frowned at the cuffs around his wrist. "So, we are both prisoners here," he said. He held a hand towards a pillar and focused. A small crackle of energy burst from his hands and dispersed in the air. "Chaos has seized even my most basic of magic," he mused, looking over himself. "I cannot free us."

"I doubt magic would do much good on these chains. Trust me, I've spent hours tugging on them and they haven't given one bit," Jecht shrug. "It's Mateus, this is his place, Pandaemonium. He came by a bit earlier to see if you were awake. It's been a day or so since…that."

"Why does he keep us here?" Golbez asked. "What purpose is served by keeping us alive now?"

"You are a means to an end, that is the purpose you serve." Golbez and Jecht turned to the wall. Like living flesh it pulled up and formed a doorway, Emperor Mateus walking into the room with a slow, leisurely stride. The wall closed up behind him. "You remain alive because I still have a use for you two. Be grateful," Mateus laughed.

"Were they not in shackles I would wrap my hands around your throat," Golbez threatened. Mateus glared at him and lifted his staff, clicking it on the ground. A jolt of pain shot up Golbez's limbs, and he let out a howl of agony. The jolts stopped, and Golbez fell forward onto his knees, the chains binding his arms going taunt were all that kept him from collapsing. Mateus walked behind him and lifted a foot, digging his heel into Golbez's back underneath his cloak.

"I will not suffer such insolence, not anymore," he warned in a low voice. "I played the part of the fool emperor, letting you run about tricking our less intelligent allies and guiding the hands of light to clutch their Crystals. But I play that part no longer. I am in control now, and you will show me respect or suffer."

"You won't kill me. You said it yourself, you still need me," Golbez replied. The emperor smiled and withdrew his foot.

"Death would be but a release from the torment I could subject you to. But I am in a joyous mood and so am feeling merciful." Mateus turned from Golbez to Jecht. "Now that you are both awake, I have news for the both of you. You will be able to see your family one final time before you perish."

"Cecil? What have you done to him?" Golbez yelled.

"I have done nothing. He and Tidus and a handful of the others have it in their heads to free you," Mateus said, pacing back in front of Golbez. "They think perhaps due to your alliance with Cosmos, you know something that can be of use to them. That, or they seek your help in the battle with Chaos."

"I am of no help to anyone," Golbez whispered, closing his eyes.

"I must disagree. I found you two to be of considerable help to my plans," Mateus mocked. Golbez didn't respond. "Do not despair. Do not cause us any more trouble, and perhaps you two can remain when my allies and I rebuild the worlds to our liking. You may live out mortal lives in a prison world of my design. I may even return your families to you. A small reward for helping my schemes to fruition," Mateus looked down at Golbez. "You are a true pity, Golbez. With your heart of light to earn Cosmos' trust, I had once thought you the perfect accomplice for my plans. The feckless destroyers were to be erased, and the intelligent among us to remain as my new lieutenants. You would have been perfect to rule under my wing. Alas, your heart strayed too close to the light, and I had to use you as my pawn rather than my partner…sad. What a waste of potential."

"For someone who claims he was just playing the part, you still like listening to yourself talk," Jecht snapped. Mateus tossed him a smirk.

"Jecht, be careful. I have been generous up until now, but if you wish it I _can_ be cruel," the emperor warned. Jecht brought his hands together and cracked his knuckles, straining his chains with the motion.

"Same here, take these chains off me and I'll show ya what I can _really_ do," he said.

"I think not. I must prepare. The Warriors of Cosmos will find their way to me sooner or later. I will have to make sure I have a suitable greeting for them. In the wake of Cosmos' death, Chaos has gifted new power to my lieutenants and me. With our strength greater than ever it is unlikely they will defeat us in time to reach Chaos. You know as well as I, the borders leading to the Edge of Madness are closed off to the forces of light as Order's Sanctuary was closed off to darkness. Without the Crystals they cannot confront Chaos."

"They have nine. Only the Axis Crystal remains," Golbez said. "They can defeat Garland with ease. You and your 'lieutenants' as you call them will be naught but bodyguards for him or your schemes will crumble."

"Garland is a triviality. He has been stripped of his title and rank." Mateus chuckled. "The forces of discord have a new leader now. It is not Garland and the Warrior who will fight. To claim the Axis Crystal the Champion of Light must best the Champion of Darkness in single combat, as it has always been. This is Hikari's tenth cycle, and when they come to face us they will have a new leader. He will be unversed in his new powers. Defeating him myself will be simple."

"Chaos has made you champion instead of Garland? For a god he ain't too bright," Jecht laughed. The emperor ignored the remark. With a swing of his staff a portal opened in the wall before him.

"There is no telling when they will arrive. I go to prepare myself, and my palace, for them. When the time comes for them to meet their doom, I shall allow you a vantage point as I eradicate them." Mateus entered the portal and it closed behind him, leaving Golbez and Jecht alone in their chains. Golbez let out a long breath.

"Well, he's gone. Let's bust out of here!" Jecht called. Golbez kept his head down. "Hey! Say something!"

"I thought I could change things," Golbez whispered, closing his eyes. "I thought I could stop the cycle of eternity, that I could disrupt the balance…and for my effort I ended up nothing but a pawn in a greater scheme. All my careful planning, all my manipulations…I tried to help them and steered them and myself into Mateus' trap." His fists clenched. "My own darkness blinded me…I'm a fool."

"Hey, don't talk like that!" Jecht snapped. "It ain't too late, they can still kill Chaos right? And we're gonna help them, once we get out of here! We ain't out of this game yet!" Golbez didn't answer, or even hear him, lost in his thoughts. Jecht out a frustrated grunt and shook his head.

_"Something ain't right though..." _he thought. Golbez hadn't caught Mateus' slip, but he had.

_"I found you two to be of considerable help to my plans"_

_"You two...meaning me," _Jecht lifted his hand and propped his elbow on the wall to lean his head into his hand as he stared at Golbez. _"Golbez has been the brains behind this...so where do I fit it?"  
_

* * *

"Let's go," Onion Knight said, looking out over the mountain, lit up in the morning sun. Terra watched him silently. Sleep had refused to come to her last night, to the point she had been tempted to use her magic to put herself to sleep. She checked on Cloud what must have been every few minutes, waiting, hoping, to see if he was still alive somehow. No signs had come.

"_It's strange…somehow it doesn't feel like he's really gone," _she thought, looking over at him. An odd sense of detachment had kicked in as she had paced about the cavern unable to rest. Cloud wasn't dead, his body lay only a few feet away and she had been there when he was killed, but somehow she didn't believe it. At least, she chose not to. During the night she had been surprised to find that Cloud was still warm. It made no sense, as far as she was aware bodies usually went cold, but Cloud's skin was still soft and still gave off heat. If he had just been a bit more responsive she would have believed he was simply asleep.

Tidus and Cecil moved to follow Onion Knight out of the cavern. Cecil turned at the entrance.

"Coming?" he asked.

"Yes, I'll be there in a moment," Terra nodded. Cecil gave her an understanding look and nodded back, and left. Terra approached Cloud and knelt down. She had his Crystal, his weapon had been lost during the battle. There was nothing to do now but say goodbye. "Cloud…" she whispered, wondering what to say. She looked down, trying to think. She had attended funerals before, but this somehow felt wrong. It felt wrong to leave him, wrong to abandon him.

"I can't," she realized. It was irrational, but when she made to stand her body wouldn't listen to her. _"I can't leave him, not like this…"_

* * *

"Is she going to take long? I don't wanna be mean but we've gotta go," Tidus said. Cecil looked back at the cave.

"I see her," he said. As the three watched, Terra slowly stepped out into the morning light, her eyes clouded. She approached then with slow, uneven steps. As she got closer the three saw why – Cloud was slung over her back, arms looped over her neck.

"Terra?" Onion Knight asked, running up to her.

"I can't leave him," she said quietly.

"Terra, there's nothing to do for taking him with us," Cecil said gently.

"Then what? Abandon him out here? Leave him and let who-knows-what happen to him when the worlds get put back?" she snapped, suddenly irritated. She calmed herself. "Besides…it doesn't feel like he's…maybe there's a way to bring him back, or maybe he's not really gone."

"Terra…" Tidus said.

"I know it's stupid, but if there's a slim chance…and even if there isn't, I can't leave him in the middle of nowhere. If we take him with us, at least we can maybe see his body gets back to his own world," Terra insisted. "I won't slow you down much, if you want to go ahead then fine, but I'm bringing him."

"Terra, I ain't letting you do that," Tidus said, walking towards her.

"It isn't up to you, he's coming," Terra repeated.

"I mean, you ain't exactly strongest person here." Tidus grabbed Cloud's arm and slipped it over his own neck. "Let the ace handle it, huh?" Terra looked at him with a defiant look in her eyes. "I'm not saying you're weak, but magical and physical strength are kinda different. Besides, if we get attacked I'd feel better knowing you're free to fight than burdened down with him," he continued. Terra gave a sharp nod and moved aside for Tidus to heft Cloud's other arm up.

"Thank you," she said, smiling. Tidus grinned and flashed her a thumbs up.

"Don't mention it."

"Alright, if we're ready," Cecil said. He turned and nodded towards the horizon and the rest of the mountain. "Let's go."


	29. The Dark Crystals

Shards of Memory

**Time for another surprise twist! Don't worry – this time it's a good one, heh heh…**

Chapter 29

The Dark Crystals

"_**Without followers, evil cannot spread." – **_**Spock,**_** Star Trek

* * *

**_

_"When does this mountain end?" _Terra thought. They had spent the entire day traveling, only stopping to rest for what they estimated was an hour, and the mountain path had kept going. Through it all, Tidus had continued to haul Cloud on his back. Terra caught him looking tired once or twice, but whenever he noticed she was paying attention to him he smiled and insisted he was fine. Terra assisted him as best she could by using her magic to reinvigorate him during their rest stop, but she knew he was still exhausted, magic could only do so much and he will need real rest once they stopped for the night.

The hope in her heart that somehow Cloud was still alive continued to burn, but it was dimmer now. An entire day and he hadn't so much as drawn a breath or twitched a finger. Yet he was still warm, still movable. Terra knew what human anatomy was like – bodies simply didn't act this way. She was wondering if she was being foolhardy, hoping for his survival. It may have just been an aspect of humans in his world that their bodies reacted different upon death than people in her world. She was indecisive, part of her said she shouldn't give up on him, the other part said she was being naïve for holding onto a fool's hope.

"Are we there yet?" Tidus groaned. Terra turned her head to look behind him and noticed he looked tired. He saw her looking and smiled at her, his expression brightening in an instance.

"I can take him for a bit," Terra offered. "I'm strong enough."

"Nah, I'm cool," Tidus said, picking up the pace. Terra watched him and turned forward, sighing. She wished she understood why she couldn't leave him, it was impractical to carry him when they had no idea how much they had to go. She supposed it was just silly sentimentality, that she would have been abandoning him to an unknown fate. Cloud was a fighter, he was as much a hero as any of them, he deserved better than that.

_"What will happen to his world now?" _She didn't know how the Crystals functioned in relation to the fighters from the worlds they came from. Would Cloud's world be restored with him alive to hold his Crystal? Terra's thought turned to the small green orb in her pocket, humming with energy as her senses touched it. She planned to protect it as well as she would her own Crystal, but she wasn't sure that would be enough. If Sephiroth was alive there was a chance other enemies had returned as well…Kefka might be alive again as well. And, if Sephiroth, the other foes had been given increased strength from Chaos, a second victory over Kefka would be unlikely even with her full potential at her fingertips.

_"We're going to need our full power if we're going to stop Chaos, there's no telling what's next now," _she thought. _"Cloud…we need you back. Somehow…"_

"We'll find a way." Terra turned her head to see Cecil watching her. "We'll get him back," he vowed, smiling.

"How?" Terra asked. Behind them Tidus came to a stop and listened in.

"I don't know," Cecil shrugged, looking ahead at Onion Knight. "But if there's one thing I've learned in life, it's that assuming something is impossible is just a cue for the universe to show you otherwise. I'll wager a lot of the things we've done are 'impossible' to each other, but it'd be the truth."

"He's got a point there," Tidus nodded. "Trust me, if there's a way to get Cloud back, we're gonna find it. Who knows, it might even be what Golbez was in on. Sephiroth came back, maybe Golbez and the old man know a way to bring Cloud back too."

"You guys are too slow," Onion Knight complained, sauntering back to them. "I want the big dope back too, but standing here talking about it isn't going to make it happen, right?"

"Right," Terra nodded, feeling encouraged.

"Then come on. We'll find Golbez and Jecht, and from there on we'll find a way to get Cloud back. Piece o' cake for a team of heroes like us, right?" Onion Knight laughed at the last word and beat a fist on his armor. The other three joined in the laughter.

"You 'heroes' need to learn when to give up the struggle." The four stopped and turned their heads as Emperor Mateus appeared on a ledge overhead, looking down on them. Tidus gasped and stepped forward.

"You! You're that emperor guy!" he yelled. "I remember you, get down here so I can finish kicking your ass!" Mateus ignored him.

"I see from the body of your comrade that you have become acquainted with one of my new lieutenants," he said, smirking slightly. "Be thankful Sephiroth was unable to finish the job he began with you, Terra, else Cosmos' numbers be down by two now, instead of one."

"Keep talking, if you want me to come up there and even the score!" Terra yelled, her arms lighting up.

"I think not. I come not to fight, warriors, but to inquire," Mateus replied. "Tell me, what is it that you seek in these mountains?" Terra hesitated to respond, unsure of how to. She couldn't tell the emperor they were going on a vague clue from a specter. Then again, she argued to herself, people like Mateus and Kefka didn't care how their questions were answered as long as they were given something to build on for their banter.

"Hope," Cecil supplied, stepping up beside Terra. "We seek hope, and that is answer enough for a fiend like you."

"Hope? For what?" Mateus said. "For my destruction, for the restoration of the worlds? You needn't bother answering, because I know your objective. You seek passage to my palace, and believe there lies something close by that can show you the path. I'm afraid such wanton travels will prove fruitless. There is nothing for you, here or at Pandaemonium. You waste your time chasing an illusion."

"If you were as intelligent as you act, you would know you're wasting your time trying to dissuade us," Cecil responded. "My brother is waiting for us, and we won't let him down. We'll save him and Jecht, and together we'll destroy Chaos!"

"Golbez and Jecht? What assistance can those traitors give?" the emperor sniffed. "They may wish to serve the light, but the darkness in their hearts made them naught but Chaos' loyal tools. Golbez delivered Chaos to Cosmos' throne, and Jecht delivered to me the instrument of your final destruction. _That_ is the legacy of your blood, the destruction of the world."

"You're lying!" Tidus snapped. "My old man may be a prick, but there's no way he'd help someone like you! He was trying to save our world!"

"Yes, and in his pride he played right into my hands," Mateus laughed. "Behold, warriors, the means by which my chosen lieutenants are plucked from oblivion's grasp." The emperor held out his hand. With a flash of dark light, a dark violet Crystal appeared hovering above his palm.

"That…it can't be!" Onion Knight cried. "No way!" Terra stared at the Crystal, blinking. The Crystal pulsed with a bright purple aura, slowing rotating in the air.

_"It's a Crystal, but it's different from ours…the power from it…" _she thought.

"Behold the Crystal of Darkness," Mateus declared. "All worlds have not one, but _two_ Crystals. A Crystal of Light, and a Crystal of Darkness. The Crystals of Light are the Crystals you each hold, Crystals with power over life, gifted to the worlds by Cosmos. The Crystals of Darkness, however, are given by Chaos, and hold power over death. By this Crystal's power, Sephiroth, Ultimecia and Kuja were revived to serve me."

"How did you get that?" Cecil cried.

"It's quite ingenious, really," Mateus said. "The Crystals shine for the Warriors of Light when their courage and valor are pushed to the brink. That is why they appeared before you when you each vanquished your chosen enemy, they sensed your power and manifested for a worthy bearer. The Crystals of Darkness act much the same way, they shine when a warrior fights with dark thoughts and emotions in his heart." He chuckled lowly and turned his gaze from Cecil.

"One among you faced his adversary with a heart full of anger and hate. His emotions tainted his heart with darkness, darkness that called the Crystal of Darkness of his world to shine its dark light. However, he chose to take the Crystal of Light first, and so the Crystal of Darkness never appeared before him. He remained ignorant of his role of my plan until just a few moments ago." Cecil, Terra and Onion Knight turned their heads. Tidus took a step back, his eyes wide.

"No way," he whispered. "I…"

"Tidus, you faced Jecht fueled by rage for his betrayals and neglect. This rage called out to the Crystal of Darkness from Spira, and it may have appeared to you, but you claimed your Crystal of Light before the Crystal of Darkness could be made manifest. It next turned to Jecht as the Warrior of Darkness for Spira, but he fought with the spirit of a hero for the good of his world. A heart tainted with light is an unsuitable holder, and thus the Crystal searched for a bearer outside its world, the closest heart dark enough to deserve its power. And it chose me."

"I don't believe it!" Tidus shouted.

"Believe it. Chaos was looking to another from your world to serve under him. But I convinced him, for the purposes of my plan, that Jecht was the superior choice. You and his replacement hated each other, but I doubt the maester could have garnered the same vicious hatred from you that your father did. It is fortunate I did not overestimate you, to overcome your petty struggles."

"You…you set us all up," Terra accused. "You and Chaos let Golbez help us so he could get close to Cosmos, and you set Jecht up as Tidus' enemy to make the Crystal of Darkness appear for you! You've been planning this from the beginning!"

"I see the pawns have at last gained insight on the greater game," Mateus laughed. "Who else could have orchestrated this grand scheme but I? None before Chaos had the insight and genius that I do. None of my predecessors ever thought of using the power of light to end the cycle, to employ traitors that would plot against them, but none of them could see beyond their narrow vantage. So many obsessed with claiming dominion over their world. I have beheld the greater picture. I will rule not just mine, but _many_ worlds, as the right hand of discord! I shall be a god among insects, without equal save for Chaos himself! And it could not have succeeded without the help of Jecht and Golbez. And of course, you Tidus." Tidus clenched his fist.

"A warrior of darkness with a heart tainted with light, and a warrior of light with a heart tainted with darkness. You and Jecht are opposite sides of the same coin. By your hands, this long cycle of war has come to its end…" the emperor smiled cruelly. "You two seem to have a knack for such things."

"SHUT THE HELL UP!" Tidus roared and jumped forward, the Brotherhood coming back over his head. Mateus sneered and swung his staff out to catch the edge of the blade as Tidus swung.

"Fool!" the emperor twirled his staff, knocking Tidus' sword aside and bringing up the other end. A glowing bright purple orb of energy appeared in the claw on the lower end, and Mateus brought it up and slammed it into Tidus' chest. With a small explosion he was flung back, landing heavily next to Cecil. "You see?" Mateus announced. "It is that same hatred and rage that has delivered this Crystal to me! You are responsible for your own downfall due to your wanton loss of control!"

"He's not the one who did all this, you are!" Onion Knight shouted. "You're the one who planned it, take some responsibility!"

"I take _all_ the responsibility," Mateus said. "I orchestrated Cosmos' death, I orchestrated the return of my lieutenants. And now, I shall orchestrate your own deaths. Sephiroth was a fool, he savored his victory over Cloud and then fled when he was satisfied. I have come to deliver all four of you to oblivion."

"Try it!" Onion Knight said, drawing his sword. Tidus climbed to his feet and grabbed the Brotherhood.

"Four against one aren't good odds no matter how tough you might have gotten," Tidus chimed in. Terra and Cecil readied their weapons as well as the emperor laughed.

"I think not. I did come to fight you and test your resolve as I did before, Tidus. I came to destroy, and shall make good on my vow." Mateus swung out his staff, a trio of glowing purple orbs of energy flying out of the tip. The mountain path ahead crumbled as the orbs impacted the side and exploded. With another swing, more orbs flew at the path behind them and destroyed it as well. "You see? There is nowhere to flee now. You are trapped here, and this mountain shall be your final resting place."

"Try it!" Terra shouted, holding up her hands and launching a blast of fire. Mateus vanished as the attack impacted the mountain where he had been standing, his laugh echoing through the air. He reappeared on a higher ledge with a smirk.

"You warriors are valiant. But you are out of your depth!" the emperor clicked his staff on the ground, and a large crest of energy lit up underfoot of the four fighters below. Jolts of electricity shot up their legs, bringing them to their knees. "Kneel before the future lord master of all worlds!" Mateus commanded, raising his staff into the air. The crest of energy pulsed, orbs of energy rising from it. Terra weakly lifted her head as the orbs began to flash and glow brighter, and felt a slight rumble. She turned her eyes back down and thought quickly.

"I think…we have a way out," she whispered, turning to her comrades. "Hang on." She looked at her hands, stunned against the ground, and focused.

"Farewell, Warriors of Cosmos," Mateus said. "When you see Cosmos, give her my regards." The emperor clicked his staff on the ground, and the orbs of light surrounding them turned white and exploded. With a cry, Terra tore her hands from the crest of lightning under her and flung them out. A transparent blue barrier rippled into place over her, Cecil, Tidus and Onion Knight. Terra clenched her eyes as she fought the pain of the electrocution and the bombardment of the orbs against her barrier. The rumbling in the ground grew, and Terra thrust her hands back down and fired a blast of magical energy into the dirt.

The ground shook and crumbled away, and the four fell down as the path collapsed. A passage inside the mountain came into view as they fell into it, vanishing into darkness. Terra looked up at the stunned and distant face of the emperor and held up a hand. A second blast of energy collapsed the entrance behind them, and they continued to fall down a sloped incline further into the cave.

"A secret cavern?" Mateus whispered. His expression of surprised twisted into a sneer. "A temporary relief…no matter, there will be time later. Whatever the specter mage told them was here is an illusion. This mountain holds nothing for them." the emperor vanished in a flash of darkness, leaving the mountain deserted.

* * *

Garland's sword left a shallow scrap in the dirt behind him as he walked, his steps steady and even. The dirt path was several feet wide, and surrounded by a sea of molten lava. Long black and orange spires rose from the lava, glowing in the red light. The clouds overhead obscured the sky, and rumbled a deep red color. Garland reached his destination and began up the stairs, taking them two at a time, holding his sword up to avoid hitting it. He reached the top and stood still, putting his sword down.

_"Garland…" _Chaos whispered, looking at the knight from his throne. _"Why have you come here?"_

"I must speak with you concerning Emperor Mateus," Garland said lowly. He had no intent to challenge Chaos' word, nor for their discussion to degenerate into violence. However, there were questions he had, and he would demand answers for them.

_ "Then speak," _Chaos said, waving a hand through the air.

"Why have you forsaken me for him?" Garland asked, keeping his temper over the snubbing in check. "Have I not been loyal to you for an eternity, several eternities? And yet you appoint Mateus as the Champion of Darkness in my place for the first time in all the cycles. Why?"

_"My champion must be the one who safeguards my interests," _Chaos replied, tapping a claw against the back of his opposite hand. _"This time, it is the emperor whereas before, it was you."_

"Then what has changed?" Garland asked. "I do as I always have, so am I to assume your motivations are different this time? You know as well as I my fate, the destiny you _must_ send me to. Why turn your back on me now?"

_"Because there is truth in your words, Garland. You will fulfill your fate, but what of mine? You know how all past cycles have ended, would you condemn me to that again?"_

"We all have our duties, Chaos," Garland insisted. "Am I not to be your right hand, your sword with which to shatter the light? If you would seek a new path it is my place to seek it with you, not Mateus. He is naught but a peon, just another gear in a machine full of hundreds. Do you truly think he has found a way to end the cycle?" Garland asked. Inside the knight was slightly worried. He and Chaos knew their ultimate goal, the next step in the ultimate plan once all the Crystals were in their hands. Why would the god reject the preordained order of things?

_"I do not know," _Chaos said. _"It will only be certain when this battle reaches it's end, and myself or the Warriors of Cosmos lie battered and dying on the field of battle. Shinryu's awakening is nigh, the divine dragon's judgment will soon be upon us…" _Chaos let out a bitter chuckle, surprising Garland. _"Judgment…what judgment is there for us, Garland? Two prisoners shackled by fate, trapped within an endless cycle doing what they must…must you and I be confined to our destinies?"_

"Things go as they must," Garland said. "My fate must be carried out, or you will cease to be, Chaos."

_"Perhaps _you_ must go to your fate with certainty. But what of me? Are even gods not above the whims of destiny? Or shall I attempt to rewrite my destiny, to choose my own path? I am the God of Discord, true. But a title does not define me, does it? You, the other warriors I have chosen, and the warriors chosen by Cosmos, are your destinies preordained because of the path she and I set for each of you?"_ Garland didn't respond, and Chaos let out a long sigh. _"So long, the peons and the gods have struggled endlessly, pointlessly. All I have ever been working towards, Garland, is to obtain that which I desire above all else."_

"Domination over the worlds?" Garland asked.

_"My desires are not so easily defined, or so easily obtained. I had thought perhaps they would be forever beyond my reach, but this cycle proves they are not. Emperor Mateus, Golbez, Jecht, they prove the paths of the chosen warriors are not defined by circumstance, but by will. They have the intelligence, the will, the drive to break free of the paths I set for them and act of their own accord."_

"And by their seized freedom, you believe the cycle can be broken?" Garland whispered.

_"Perhaps not this time, nor the next. But, the potential is there. I see it now, gleaming in the shadows…" _Chaos closed his eyes and lifted a claw to finger the amulet around his neck. A blood-red jewel in its center glittered and pulsed at his touch. _"A light hitherto denied to my eyes…hope."

* * *

_

Terra opened her eyes to darkness and groaned. Her body was sore all over, and she was lying sprawled on the ground. Her leg screamed in protest as she pulled it in to push herself onto her hands and knees.

"I'm tired of waking up and not knowing what's going on," she grumbled. She turned her head to scan for any source of light, and found none. She felt cool, stagnant air, and cold stone and dirt under her hands, but was blind. Climbing to her feet, Terra held up a hand and called on her powers. Her lower arm was engulfed in flame, allowing flickering light to fill the cave. It was a fairly large area, with a high ceiling. Terra turned as she looked over the cave roof until she saw the wall not far away where rubble was piled up to the ceiling. That must have been where they had fallen through when the emperor's mines destroyed the path. Terra lowered her gaze and gasped.

"Tidus!" Terra ran forward, almost forgetting to sustain the light as she approached Tidus, sprawled on his back. She looked behind him to see Cloud crumpled on his side. She looked for just a moment to see if he was moving or making a sound, then turned back to Tidus. She shook him with her free hand, and Tidus let out a low moan and turned onto his side.

"What I miss?" he muttered, blinking his eyes open. "Man, what did I sleep on last night, my back _hurts_."

"Tidus, we fell into a cave and got knocked out," Terra said dryly. Tidus sat up, turning his head to look around the cave before stopping when he locked eyes with Terra.

"….oh yeah. Sorry," he said, standing up. Terra followed suit. "Where are Cecil and Onion Knight?"

"I'm not sure, I don't see them," Terra mused, looking around the rest of the cavern. "If they woke up before us I don't think they would move on an leave us here…unless they couldn't see and didn't know we were here…"

"Any wood or anything we can use for torches?" Tidus asked, looking around the ground. "We're going to have to look around and we can't do it if it's pitch dark."

"I'm fine. I'm my own torch," Terra replied, swinging her hand around to leave a train of orange light in the air.

"Yeah, what about me?"

"…right." Terra scanned the ground and walked over to a stray tree branch. She picked it up with her flaming hand and turned to offer it to Tidus. Tidus took it and held it up, the other end still on fire, and smiled.

"Thanks," he nodded. Terra watched him turn to begin exploring and looked down at her hand. Without so much as a flick of a finger or a facial twitch, the fire engulfing her hand and wrist extinguished, leaving her in shadows save for the distant light of Tidus' torch. A moment later the fire rekindled. Terra lifted her other hand and ran it over the flame. The normal hand felt heat, and the fire died down as she waved it too close, but the hand consumed in the fire itself, she felt nothing but a gentle tingling.

_"Control is coming easier all the time it seems. I barely need to will it," _she thought. The idea wasn't frightening though. As she became more used to manifesting her powers, the concentration needed for it was lessening, and she felt even safer as a result. During the battle with Sephiroth she had begun to use her powers in new ways, projecting barriers not to defend but to support Cloud as he charged up at their enemies. _"It seems every battle I discover more about myself…just how powerful _am_ I?"_ Terra thought back to Maduin and the other Espers. They were virtual demi-gods, a handful of them leveling the largest city on the planet within a few hours, and the most powerful of them able to endure death and sustain themselves as Magicite for a thousand years. Maduin, as the gatekeeper, had average powers for an Esper, so he had said. Of course Terra had no idea how Espers defined 'average' amongst themselves, and that gave no basis for her to figure out how much of her father's power had been passed to her.

_"Cloud…"_ Terra turned her head to where he lay and walked back towards him, kneeling. With a small sigh she pulled him towards her, and he turned onto his back. Terra's eyes went wide, the fire on her arm nearly going out as she lost her focus. _"What is this?"_ she asked herself, running a hand along his chest. Cloud's wounds that he had taken in Sephiroth's attack were healed. His bare chest was still caked with dried blood, but as Terra wiped some of it away, the cuts the blood had come from were gone. _"But that's impossible," _she thought, wiping off more blood to confirm the wounds were gone. Cloud's body, if he _was _dead, couldn't have begun to heal itself…

"Terra!" Terra turned her head to see Tidus waving to her in the distance. She saw Cecil and Onion Knight step into the light of his torch, and let out a sigh of relief.

"Coming," she called back. The fire on her arm extinguished as she grabbed Cloud's arm and stood up. She flung him over her shoulders and walked towards the two. He wasn't heavy, but Cloud certainly wasn't very light either.

"You two need to see something!" Onion Knight said excitedly.

"We found something deeper in the cave," Cecil said. "We couldn't see you two but we saw light, so we went to investigate it."

"Light? From what?" Terra asked, stopping in front of them. Tidus handed his torch to Onion Knight and moved to take Cloud from Terra without a word.

"That's what you need to see," Onion Knight said, waving her forward. He turned and headed deeper into the cave, his torch lighting the way. The other three followed him. The walk was quiet as Terra pondered the meaning of Cloud's wounds healing themselves. If he was dead that should be impossible, but if he was alive why wasn't he breathing or regaining consciousness? She hadn't seen anything like it before, and wish she understood it. Mostly, she wished she understood what had happened to Cloud, to have some sort of absolution on his fate for better or worse.

"Here we are," Onion Knight said. Terra blinked as she emerged from her thoughts and saw what they had seen before. The cave came to a stop at a wall of white and beige stone. Two white doors were set into the wall, light gleaming from between them.

"Anyone recognize this from their world?" Tidus asked. The other three shook their heads, and Terra stepped forward to place a hand on the doorframe.

"What's inside?" she asked.

"We're not sure, we couldn't get the door open," Cecil said. "We were thinking we could go back the other way, and see if-" He was cut off as Terra moved her hand and fired a blast of magic at the door. The door exploded in a flash of rubble, dust and wind blowing past Terra as she stood unflinching, her eyes closed. "Or, that," Cecil shrugged. Terra opened her eyes and stepped over what was left of the door. Her comrades followed her inside.

The inside of the door was a hallway lined with green floor tiles of varying shades, elegant swirl patterns formed as a mosaic. The walls were the same beige and white stone, and inside ivy grew up the wall in some places. A few feet from the door a hand railing ran along the edge of the floor, proving a barrier between the walkway and a pit below full of gears and chains. Obviously some sort of machine lay here, but the gears and chains were motionless.

"This must be what Shantotto meant," Terra realized. This was no hermit's lair or abandoned mine of some kind, obviously someone put a lot of effort into constructing this place underground. Someone with power and resources. "Let's go." Terra picked up the pace and followed the hallway to a flight of stairs, taking them two at a time. As she reached the top she saw the room above was wider, pits on either side full of more machinery, but instead of railings were blocked off by rectangular troughs of dirt full of pink flowers. Six white statues stood along the sides of the room. Terra stepped aside as Tidus, Cecil and Onion Knight came up behind her, and noticed two doors in the room. One lay opposite the stairs, another was on the other side of the room.

"So, split up?" Tidus suggested, noticing where she was looking.

"Agreed. Tidus, you and I will investigate this door. Terra, can you and Onion Knight inspect the other?" Cecil said.

"No problem," Onion Knight smiled. Tidus set Cloud down against a wall and approached the door opposite the stairs. He pushed forward against it, stumbling slightly as the door unexpectedly opened easily. He and Cecil headed through, and Onion Knight and Terra approached the other door. He pushed it open and headed into the next room, Terra behind him. This room had the same fixtures as the last, a small garden in rows of dirt, white and beige walls. There was a single door directly ahead, and the path split left and right.

"How big is this place?" Onion Knight grumbled, pushing open the next door. Terra didn't respond, her senses tingling. A small but close glimmer of magical energy called to her, and she looked around to see if she could tell from where. Onion Knight looked around the new room. It was small, more flowers and gears around four beds, and backed up. "How about you go left and I take the right?" he suggested, looking up at Terra. Terra nodded and headed down the right hallway. It was a short path, and opened up to another fairly small room. Several bookcases lined the walls, and a large wooden table was in the center. There were various scrolls and books strewn over it, along with metal instruments of varying sizes. Terra recognized a few of them as navigational or writing tools, but others were entirely foreign.

"Here," she whispered, looking around. The call of magic was stronger now. It wasn't loud though, it must have been something of little power. Terra walked along the row of bookcases, her fingertips grazing the spines as she tried to figure out where the power was centered. Finding nothing, she turned to the table and began to sift through the books and scrolls. Some of the text was readable, mostly the books, while the older scrolls were in some ancient language. Terra put a hand around one scroll to move it, and stilled. This was it, the source of the power she was sensing. Sitting on a nearby stool, Terra unrolled the scroll across the table.

It was large, large enough that she couldn't reach across to grab the other end as she rolled it out. Even holding her arms out to their full length would just barely stretch the scroll out as far as it would go. There was no writing on it, at least nothing she recognized as writing. Instead it was a drawing, very detailed. Most of the scroll contained drawings of mountains, a long line of mountains, with a river running down one end, and a forest on all other sides. In the center of the mountain range, a small golden dot glowed bright on the scroll. Terra reached out and touched it, but felt nothing, and the light was smooth as though it was part of the drawing.

"It's a map," she said to herself. She didn't recognize any of the landmarks, but it was a map for sure. However, she couldn't figure out why there was magic in it, aside from the glow there didn't seem to be anything special about it.

"Nothing over there, a bunch of old books but nothing else," Onion Knight announced, walking into the room.

"Look at this," Terra said, waving him over. He jogged around the table to look at the map. "I think it's a map, but I can't tell where anything is on it," she explained. Onion Knight reached out to rub the glowing spot on the map and scrunched his face up.

"This?" he muttered, grabbing the map and stepping back to turn it in his hands. "This is what she wanted us to find?" he said, a bit louder. "What a waste, we have no landmarks to go by, and we don't know what Pandaemonium looks like, how are we supposed to find it with a maaaaWHOA!" he cried out in shock and dropped the map, jumping back. Terra picked it up and unfurled it to see what had surprised him. The ma's image had shifted. The mountain with the glowing dot was smaller now, on the bottom edge of the map. Going up, the forest ended at a desert, then came to another mountain range. A castle turret was drawn in the mountain, a glowing dot at its peak.

"What did I just do?" Onion Knight asked, embarrassed. Terra blinked and smiled as she realized what had happened.

"You're a genius," she whispered.

"Well duh, but what did I do?" Onion Knight repeated. Terra turned and laid the map back out on the table, her hands on the edges. She took a breath and decided to confirm her suspicions.

"Order's Sanctuary," she said, making her voice clear and firm. The map shimmered, and the image erased itself. A second later it redrew from one end to the other. The mountain with the glowing dot reappeared in the upper corner, while various terrain and locations dotted the rest of the map. In the opposite corner a circular area appeared at the junction of several lakes, a glowing dot there. "It _is_ a map," she said triumphantly. "Of whatever we want it to be."

"Huh?" Onion Knight asked, looking down at the map.

"Pandaemonium," Terra repeated. The map once again erased and redrew, the image the same as when she had picked it up after Onion Knight dropped it. "There," she said, putting a finger on the second glowing dot. "A castle in the mountains, that's Pandaemonium. It shows us the location of wherever we want to go when we tell it. That's the magic I was sensing from it."

"Aweosme!" Onion Knight cheered. "We got it going on now!" Terra nodded and rolled up the map.

"Let's show this to Tidus and Cecil. We've got a heading to follow at last," she said, feeling optimistic. No more searching blindly, they could go exactly where they needed. The two left the room and saw Tidus and Cecil emerge from their door as they entered the first room again.

"You two gotta see this!" Tidus exclaimed, his eyes wide.

"Nuh-uh. We got something for you to see!" Onion Knight countered.

"What did you two find?" Cecil asked. Terra stepped up to him and unfurled the scroll for him to see.

"It's a map. It's enchanted, it shows us the way to wherever we want to go to," she said. Cecil looked down at it and smiled.

"That'll definitely prove useful," he agreed.

"Yeah, but we found something a _little_ more impressive," Tidus laughed. "Come on." He headed back through the door, and Cecil, Terra and Onion Knight followed, the latter two confused. Tidus and Cecil lead them to another hallway that turned twice, and stopped at a staircase leading down. Tidus turned to them with a wide grin. "After you," he said, stepping aside. Terra and Onion Knight slowly went down the stairs. The descent was a bit longer than the first stairs they had found. Terra emerged from the stairwell on a platform lined with a railing overlooking a pit, and looked around. She saw a narrow wooden walkway stretching into the shadows of the pit, and waited for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. They did, and a silhouette came into focus. Terra's eyes went wide.

"No way," Onion Knight whispered, seeing it as well. Terra was stunned. The structure was large, the size of building, several buildings. It was built from wood and steal, four large masts rising from the center. Atop each mast was mounted a large propeller. Three more propellers were mounted vertically on the back. The design was different from what Terra had seen in her world, but it wasn't unrecognizable.

"I don't believe," she whispered. "It's an airship."

"Told ya," Tidus said, coming down the stairs. "A little more impressive than a map huh?"

"Does it work?" Onion Knight asked.

"We'll find out," Cecil called down the stairs, coming down with Cloud over his back. "Go aboard, I'm coming." The three hurried over the wooden walkway, Terra looking back as Cecil slowly followed. The four boarded the ship, and Cecil set Cloud's body against a barrel before approaching the back end of the ship.

"I can pilot it, I've got experience," Onion Knight offered, following him to the ship's wheel.

"I don't think so," Cecil said gently, looking over the control panel beside the wheel. "I captained an airship fleet for years, I think I may be better. Besides, these controls are a little different, so we're going to have to figure them out." Onion Knight rolled his eyes but didn't protest, approaching Terra. She had rolled out the map atop the barrel Cloud was against, turning it. The image in the map turned with the scroll, so the location of the glowing dots marking the locations stayed fixed.

"Just one problem, I realized," Tidus said. "How do we fly her out of here? Last I checked we're underground, and it's a little cramped to try and blast our way out, if it even has weapons. We're kinda stuck."

"Good point," Cecil agreed. "But if there's a way out, only one way to discover it." He reached out and, after a moment's hesitation, pressed the button for what he believed to be the start-up sequence. The airship jerked and shuddered, throwing the four off-balance. Light shone down from above, and they looked up to see the ceiling overhead parting. Sunlight streamed into the cavern, revealing the ceiling to be a large steel trap door, now sliding apart. "There we go," Cecil nodded, looking back down. "Engaging propulsion." He grabbed a lever and edged it forward. Slowly, then faster, the propellers overhead began to spin. Terra turned her head as the wooden walkway retracted into the platform in the distance.

"Obviously whoever built this place built it to accommodate the craft," she said to herself. The airship shuddered again, and began to rise into the air. With a smile to himself, Cecil eased the lever forward a bit more. The ship rose faster, the square of sky and sun overhead growing larger. A breeze ruffled Terra's hair as the ship exited the cavern, the massive steel doors that marked its exist creaking and sliding back into place as they cleared it. She smiled into the wind and looked down at the map as the airship continued to gain altitude, rising into the clouds. The glowing dot on the castle turret on the map blinked at her steadily.

_"Pandaemonium…we're coming Golbez, Jecht!"_ She looked back down at Cloud's body and breathed deeply. _"And Cloud…I promise, somehow, we'll get you back!"_


	30. A Traitor's Pride

Shards of Memory

**Merry Christmas all, hope you enjoyed your holidays, I certainly did! New PSP, a Wii, candy and Civilizations IV, yeah! Anyway, here's wishing you a happy new year, and here's the final update of 2010. Don't wanna spoil the surprise, but I like to imagine a certain Final Fantasy X soundtrack kicking in near the end of this chapter. You'll know what I mean when you get there. Enjoy, and see you in the new year! **

Chapter 30

A Traitor's Pride

"_**By profession I am a soldier and take pride in that fact. But I am prouder - infinitely prouder - to be a father." **_**– Douglas MacArthur**

* * *

"According to this map, we should run across Pandaemonioum soon," Tidus said, looking over the chart in his hands and turning it about. "Can't this tub go any faster?"

"I'm unfamiliar with this type of craft, it's going as fast as I dare push it without knowing it's design specifications," Cecil replied. "We shouldn't take too long to get there at this speed though, we're still going at a fair pace. I would estimate we'll arrive tomorrow."

"How are you so calm?" Tidus asked, looking up at him. "Ya know it's your brother over there with my old man too."

"I know that perfectly well, thank you," Cecil said curtly. "That's why I'm remaining calm, because my brother is not one to give up and die easily. I have faith in him to survive and wait for rescue, and you should have the same in Jecht."

"Faith? In him?" Tidus snorted and turned away, sitting against the side of the ship's raising. "No way, all he's ever done is disappoint me. I don't trust him for much of anything."

"But he's your father, isn't he?" Cecil asked.

"By blood maybe, but he never much acted like one," Tidus shrugged. "The only thing my old man was ever good for when it came to me was insulting me. Said I was a scrawny crybaby who'd never be as good a Blitzer at him."

"I doubt he meant it. If Golbez would work with him, Jecht can't be as cruel as you tell," Cecil said. Tidus shrugged again and didn't reply, staring off at the sky passing alongside the ship. Cecil took the time to take another reading of the craft's performance. The interface was vaguely similar to the airships Cid had designed for Baron, but was different enough to make him cautious. He had taken a few guesses as to what instruments and controls did what and was mostly right, and could tell now the ship was comfortably maintaining altitude and speed without too much pressure being played on the engines. He edged the power output up a few more notches and breathed deeply.

He believed his own words to Tidus, that Golbez and Jecht would be safe when they made it to Pandaemonium. Cecil's concern now was what happened once they got there. Would Golbez and Jecht join them, or be of any help at all? Or was their journey to the emperor's palace a waste of time and life? Cecil thought back to the unseen battle with Sephiroth. Cloud had lost his life trying to defeat him, and Terra would have lost hers if they had been slower to investigate.

* * *

Onion Knight lounged about in his room lazy, balancing his sword handle on his fingertip. He'd found a few old scrolls and books in the room, but they had made for incredibly dry reading and he hadn't the patience for them. With no flying Crystelle and Cecil piloting the airship, there was nothing to do but wait until they arrived at Pandaemonium. With a sigh he jumped up and pulled the door open. The lower deck of the airship was a hallway lined with eight cabins, each with a bed and a dresser, and a larger room at the end of the hall with a larger bed, a desk and a bookshelf he figured was meant to be the captain's chambers. At the other end of the hall beside the stairs was another stairwell leading down into the engine room. Onion Knight headed down the hall, his own room at the far end on the left, and knocked on the right door second from the other end.

"Come in."

He pushed open the door to see Terra sitting by the side of the bed in the room. Cloud lay on the mattress, the torn fabric of his shirt removed from his body and piled in a clump on the dresser. A bowl of water lay next to it.

"How is he?" Onion Knight asked, closing the door behind him.

"The same," Terra replied softly, taking a cloth from the bowl of water. She wrung it out and dabbed it over Cloud's chest, wiping off the smeared blood still caked on his skin in come placed. His back was already clean, and his chest was almost done as well.

"Still no clue why he got healed all of a sudden?" Onion Knight asked.

"No," Terra shook her head and dipped the cloth in the bowl, wringing it out after. "I've racked my mind and I can't explain it. There was no magic used on him that I ever detected, and if he's dead his body can't heal itself…" she stilled her hands and sighed. "Maybe Golbez knows, because I don't."

"Think it has something to do with the Crystal?" Onion Knight sat on the edge of the bed. "Maybe his Crystal did something…"

"The Crystal?" Terra looked at the dresser beside the bowl. Cloud's Crystal lay shining there, somehow not rolling away despite being a perfect sphere.

"Yeah. That emperor guy said he used dark Crystals to revive Sephiroth and the rest, right?" Onion Knight explained. "Maybe our own Crystals could bring Cloud back? I mean, it makes sense doesn't it? Dark revives Chaos' guys, light revives us…"

"I hadn't thought of that," Terra said, reaching out to take Cloud's Crystal between her fingers. "But we don't know the true power of the Crystals. Where would we start if we even wanted to try that?"

"Put our hands together, hold our Crystals out and wish really hard?" Onion Knight suggested. Terra gave him a dubious look. "Hey, you asked," he said with a shrug. "I'm not sure either, it was just an idea. You have a suggestion?"

"No," Terra admitted. "Even the strongest of revival magics I've encountered revived someone long dead for only a few brief minutes, and it required an Esper's full power to sustain that long alone. I've studied the standard spells that can heal fatal wounds when one is on the brink of death, but no magic I know can reverse it entirely."

"Me neither." The two fell into silence as Terra finished wiping off Cloud's chest, his smooth, unscarred skin now plain for both to see. She slowly placed the cloth back in the bowl and, after a second's thought, held out a hand and summoned her Crystal in front of her. Aware that Onion Knight was watching her and not caring, she held it up to her chest and closed her eyes.

_"Father," _she said solemnly to the sleeping consciousness of her parent, _"Please guide me…I want him back, but I don't know how. I can't find the path…" _Terra felt fingers slide into her loose hand, and she turned to see Onion Knight had slid closer to her. A bright green Crystal was in his other hand, his eyes focused on Cloud as he gripped her hand.

"Come on," he whispered. "Something happen…" Terra looked back at Cloud and held out her Crystal, laying it on his chest and wrapping his other hand around it, the hand closer to her still holding his own Crystal. Her hand stayed on his, and an eternity passed as the three Crystals were connected to one-another by clasped hands. Terra looked for any response from them or Cloud, but there was none. As far as she could see, none of the Crystals had any reaction at all to the presence of the other two. Onion Knight sighed and let go of Terra's hand, his Crystal vanishing in a green sparkle.

"Well, was worth a shot," he said. He stood up off the bed. "I'm going to head up onto the deck and see how we're doing. You wanna come? We're a bit worried about you staying down here with him."

"….sure," Terra replied. "I'll be up in a minute." Onion Knight nodded and left the room, the door shutting behind him. Terra looked down at her Crystal and dismissed it, taking a deep breath. She picked up Cloud's Crystal and held it between her thumb and forefinger, using a third to slowly turn it around for her examination. Onion Knight was kind to be concerned, but she felt she was where she needed to be. Something told her not to give up on him, to stay by Cloud's side. She wasn't sure why, she wasn't expecting a miracle to occur from nowhere, but some force was commanding her to stay with him, and she was compelled to obey.

"He's right in principle," she thought aloud. They barely knew what the Crystals were, but Emperor Mateus had said the Crystals of Light they had held power over life, while the Crystal of Darkness he had held power over death. The Crystals of light and darkness combined controlled the flow of life in the worlds. If there was any force that could bring back the dead, it would certainly be the Crystals. What stronger force could there be than the Crystals that had seeded all life on all worlds, Crystals that were gifts from a god above gods?

"Even if they could do that though…who would know how?"

* * *

_"Terra."_

_ Terra blinked, lifting her head in confusion. She had closed her eyes for only a moment to rest them, and now she was here. All around her, a blank void of space, an expanse of white blinding her. Terra's eyes shifted around to survey her surroundings, and noticed her head refused to move, keeping her facing forward._

_ "Who's there?" she whispered, sensing someone behind her._

_"Don't give up, there is a way," the voice whispered. Terra felt someone pressing against her back and struggled to turn and see him or her. "When the time comes, he'll need you," the voice continued. "Be strong for him."_

_ "Him?" Terra asked, suspicious. "Cloud?"_

_ "I can't stay long, the power of the Crystal is so weak…too hard to maintain the connection," the voice – Terra was sure it was a female – began to sound strained. "Believe in him…be there for him…he's…the__…__"_

* * *

Terra opened her eyes, the dream ending suddenly. She lifted her head to see she had fallen asleep, her torso draped over the bed and Cloud's stomach. She blinked and turned her neck, stiff from her position. She was sure she had only closed her eyes for a moment, but she was feelingly oddly refreshed and invigorated, as though she had slept a full night. A low pulse of magic called to her senses as she awoke, and she turned her head. She lifted her hand from her side to see Cloud's Crystal still in his hand, formerly covered by hers a few seconds prior.

It was glowing bright green.

Terra watched, green light gleaming across her face, as the depths of the Materia shone, illuminating the darkened room. Like a small orb of water, patterns of light flashed inside the Materia. Then, the light died down, the room going dark again as the Materia returned to its normal dull glow that only light up Cloud's fingers limp around it.

"What on earth…" Terra wondered, reaching down to pick up the Crystal. There was a knock at her door, and Terra absentmindedly called for the knocker to enter as she tried to figure out what had just happened. She had never seen Cloud's Crystal glow so brightly, she hadn't seen hers glow like that for that matter. What did it mean? Obviously it had some sort of connection to the dream, but what? _"That woman…who was she…"_

"Well?" Terra jerked suddenly and turned her head to see Tidus standing in the doorframe.

"Pardon?" Terra said.

"I said Cecil's bringing her in to dock. We're there, come up on deck," Tidus repeated. Terra nodded and stood up, slipping Cloud's Crystal into a pocket on her skirt as she followed Tidus up to the airship's deck.

"We're certain this is it?" Terra asked as they emerged from the stairwell.

"Look over the edge and see for yourself," Tidus replied. Terra turned and walked to the railing of the airship. Below them stretched a long mountain range bordering a desert. Rising from the center of the mountains was gigantic castle. It appeared to be built out of purple, blue and pink crystal, the surface gleaming in the light of the rising sun. Beyond it's unusual building materials Pandaemonium looked more or less like any other castle with turrets, balconies and spires rising into the air in a rather recognizable fashion of architecture. The castle had no door that Terra could see, and she assumed from it's location access to the castle was only possible by air or by some cavern through the mountains.

"Where do we get in?" Onion Knight called up to Cecil from behind her.

"I'm looking for a point to set down," Cecil replied, scanning the castle. The airship's speed had slowed now as it circled in the air. Cecil's eyes darted about the turrets and spires below before he spotted a larger, flat roof in the center of the complex. He adjusted the altitude and turned in to fly the airship down. The propellers of the back of the ship slowed to a stop as the forward momentum was canceled, then spun backwards for a moment to slow the ship to a stop. Cecil lowered the ship further down until a sudden jolt told them the airship's bottom had made contact with the castle. Cecil adjusted the power to keep the upper propellers rotating slowly, then powered down the rest of the airship's systems.

"Let's go," Tidus said, walking to the edge. He grabbed a rope ladder bundled up against the side and threw it overboard, the extra length piling on the ground below.

"Hold on, I've a thought," Terra realized suddenly. "What do we do with the ship? Do we just leave it here?" Cecil thought for a moment.

"Good point," he said. "Do we want to have one of us stay behind? Could be dangerous in there, but if we lose the ship we're stranded."

"I'll stay," Onion Knight nodded.

"Right. Keep her ready to go, there's no telling when we'll need to leave suddenly," Cecil said. Onion Knight nodded, and the other three climbed down the rope ladder to stand atop the blue crystal ceiling of Pandaemonium's keep.

"Don't do something stupid like die in there! I ain't gonna be able to rescue all of you!" Onion Knight shouted down. Terra smiled up at him and followed Tidus and Cecil to a doorway leading down into the castle. As the stairs circled down and the light of the outside quickly faded, Terra noticed the inside of the castle was still lit, but not by torches or electricity. The walls and ceilings themselves glowed a violet light, giving her skin a pale purple coloring. Their footsteps echoed up and down the narrow stairwell as they descended.

"Um, not to state the obvious," Tidus spoke up. "But shouldn't these stairs have ended already? It's been like, a full minute of walking."

"Perhaps they're supernatural," Cecil guessed. "Or they may simply go a long way down. We don't know how deep into the mountain the castle goes, it likely goes quite a way underground."

"Yeah, I know," Tidus said. "Still, something about this doesn't seem right." Behind him, Terra silently agreed. As they went deeper, a growing feeling of dread crept up on her. She didn't sense anything and she was on high alert for any suspicious sources of energy, but there was still an odd sensation. Not so much a sensing of something out of place, rather not sensing something she have. It wasn't a strange presence but a strange _absence_…Terra couldn't put her finger on it, but it worried her because she wasn't used to it.

"I…I'm not sure this is the way," she said hesitantly. A growing throb in her head alerted her to a rising headache, and Terra felt lightheaded.

"You okay?" Tidus looked over his shoulder. "You're a bit pale."

"I'm fine," Terra nodded, taking a deep breath. She focused her thoughts to try and figure out what it was that she felt, and in a moment of clarity it hit her what she felt – the absence of Tidus and Cecil. The magical energy within them had always lit up to her senses before, but now was dull. Something in this place was having a dampening effect on magic. "Hey," she said, calling forward to alert them. "I think there's a -" Terra was cut off as her words become a shout. The staircase beneath their feet suddenly shifted and tilted forward. The three fell off balance and slid down what was now a ramp, spiraling further down. Terra looked down to see the path suddenly straighten and fork in two. A ripple in the air was the only sign she saw of a barrier rising as Cecil and Tidus banged against it and were diverted down one side. Terra's boots hit the barrier and she felt it tilt against her to send her tumbling down the other.

* * *

Cecil and Tidus landed heavily on the ground, sprawled out on their backs. Their swords clanged to the ground a moment later. Cecil looked up to see a circular hole in the ceiling above them closing, sealing them in the new chamber. Tidus sat up and rubbed the back of his head with a groan.

"Hey!" Tidus looked over his shoulder to see Jecht chained to two pillars some distance away.

"Dad!" he called, jumping to his feet. Cecil looked around and spotted another familiar figure chained nearby. Golbez slowly turned his head, his eyes widening.

"Cecil…"

"Welcome, gentlemen." The four turned their heads as Emperor Mateus appeared from a dark portal on a ledge nearby.

"You!" Cecil cried. "Just who we're looking for." He and Tidus reached down to grab their swords as the emperor smirked.

"Me?" he laughed. "Is that right? I had assumed you came for your family, but it appears we were mistaken. A pity, Golbez, it seems your brother doesn't care for you after all."

"Don't listen to him," Cecil said, looking over at Golbez. "We came to destroy the emperor and rescue the two of you!"

"Destroying me is a task far above the two of you," Mateus declared. "The new strength Chaos has afforded me, combined with my mastery of the Crystal of Darkness' black magic, has made me more powerful than ever. You'll find I am not so easy to destroy as the Crystelle and lowly peons you've faced until now. I have brought you here to reward you all for your persistence and assistance with my plans."

"Reward?" Tidus asked.

"Yes. I shall grant you the gift of seeing your loved ones a final time, before you die." The emperor lifted his staff, and a field of lightning crackled to life underneath Cecil and Tidus. The two cried in pain and collapsed to their hands and knees. "Tell me, which way shall it be?" Mateus asked. "I shall grant you the mercy of choosing the order in which you perish. Shall I make you endure the sight of your brother's death, Golbez, or make him endure yours?"

"Stop this Mateus!" Golbez roared. "Your quarrel is with me, leave Cecil out of this!"

"I don't believe that was the answer to the question I asked," Mateus said, turning his head in the other direction. "What of you, Jecht? Would you die first or second?"

"You pathetic coward!" Jecht snarled. He stepped forward, his chains creaking as he strained against them. "You touch one hair on his head and I'll rip your arms out of their sockets and beat you to death with them!"

"Such passionate declarations," the emperor chuckled. "I believe we have a winner." He looked over at Cecil and Tidus as they climbed to their feet again, and pointed his staff at them. "Tidus, you shall be the first to fall!" he crowed, an orb of yellow light gathering at the tip. With a flash of light the orb grew and fired forward, slamming into Tidus' chest and knocking him back. He fell to the floor and lay immobile as the orb spread out to bind his limbs. Cecil stood up straight as the emperor gracefully leapt over to their position and charged him. Mateus caught Cecil's sword on his staff and spun it up, knocking the blade aside and slamming the bottom of the staff, charged with another glowing orb of dark energy, into Cecil's chin. With a blast Cecil too was sent sprawling backwards beside Tidus, fighting against the restraints of Mateus' earlier attack. He freed an arm and pushed himself up to see Mateus standing at the end of the hall.

"You should consider what I am about to do a great honor, Tidus," Mateus sneered, lifting his staff. Purple and orange orbs of lightning flitted into place along the walls on either side of Tidus and Cecil, pulsing rapidly. "I shall kill you personally!" The orbs flashed white and exploded in a chain reaction down the hall from the emperor. Cecil ducked down over Tidus as the blasts reached them, consuming the hallway in smoke. Out of the hall Tidus lunged towards to the emperor, the Brotherhood held behind him. He leapt up and swung, and Mateus jumped back, pointing his staff at the ground in the air. A blast of lightning shot out at the ground and lit up the platform in a field of electricity. Tidus landed, grimaced as he was shocked and jumped again, sparks shooting from his feet as he pursued his opponent.

"Go for it kid!" Jecht called. Mateus and Tidus landed, and Tidus swung his sword again. The emperor caught the assault and flung out a hand, a large orb of blue flame emerging from his palm. It exploded in Tidus' face, knocking him back onto the field of electricity again. Behind him as he convulsed, Cecil ran forward and lowered his head. In a flash of dark light a black helmet appeared over his head, and his armor likewise turned black. His hand brimming with dark power, Cecil flung his sword at the emperor, clouds of energy in its wake. Mateus jerked to the side as the sword embedded itself in the wall next to his head, and jumped away as Cecil leapt up to take hold of it again. Below, Tidus climbed to his feet, panting.

"Teaming up against me?" Mateus mocked, sweeping gracefully to a lower ledge. "Hardly heroic tactics to ambush an outnumbered opponent."

"Consider it a freebee, two for the price of one!" Tidus called.

"I think not. Cecil, I'll deal with you after." With a swing of his staff, a crest of energy appeared under Cecil's feet and expanded, orbs of energy rising into the air surrounding him. "Until then, take your leave!" The orbs exploded, launching Cecil back through the air. The wall behind him glowed and opened, Cecil falling through it, then closed back up.

"What did you do to him!" Tidus snapped.

"Do not fear, he shall join your other two friends as they acquaint themselves with my other lieutenants. Assuming they survive the encounter, I shall call upon them one at a time, and you, Golbez and Jecht, may watch as they fall," the emperor explained, casting Golbez a smug glance before turning back to Tidus. "Now, shall we?"

* * *

Terra landed with a groan, the growing headache rising up on her in force. She blinked a few times and pushed herself to her feet. She stretched out her senses again but Pandaemonium's pulsing purple and pink walls were still blocking her. Feeling half-blind without her extrasensory abilities, Terra was momentarily reminded of when she had been stripped of her powers after Kefka's defeat and pushed the thought aside as quickly as it came. She didn't want to fall to paranoia, but she couldn't shake the feeling the walls around her were aware of her presence. It made her uneasy and she wanted to find Golbez and Jecht, hopefully Cecil and Tidus with them, and return to the airship as quickly as possible.

"First then I have to find them," she resolved, starting off down the hall. Her heels clicked on the floor and echoed off the walls, the only sound besides her low breath. It was eerily quiet, and combined with her loss of her sixth sense Terra felt isolated and alone. She followed the path around a corner and came to a more open area of the palace. A large pit opened up in front of her, pale lavender platforms floating over it to form a path. Terra could see the path continuing on the other side, but it was a wide gap and the platforms weren't spaced very close together. She approached the edge and estimated the distance. She could possibly make the jump if she had to, she didn't trust her flight capabilities without knowing if the magical dampening was effecting them or not.

An airy chuckle echoed through the room and Terra jumped at the sound, stumbling back. Blue eyes darted around for the source. The pit was wide and full of pillars and floating platforms providing any number of places to hide and spy. The chuckle came again, this time with speech to accompany it.

"Poor little bird," the voice taunted. Terra took another step back and called on her powers. A blue aura lit up over her arms, but she noted it wasn't as vibrant as normal. "All alone, trapped in a cage of earth with no where to fly to…her wings won't work down here will they, with the power of darkness ingrained on the walls all around her…"

"Show yourself!" Terra shouted. There was a whoosh, and Terra turned her head to see a figure float out from behind a pillar, flicking a strange of silver hair from his eyes. Five glowing orbs of white energy circled him as he lazily conducted them with a finger.

"As you wish, dear bird," Kuja smiled, stilling his hand. "Allow me to set you free." The orbs surrounding him glowed brighter, and five blasts of energy fired forward. Terra dove to the ground as they impacted behind her, sending small pieces of stone raining down on her. Terra pushed herself up and jumped, more blasts slamming into the ground. She landed on a platform over the pit below and fell to her hands and knees, barely making the jump. She raised her arms to erect a barrier as Kuja held up a hand and tossed two fireballs at her, the force of their impact making her grit her teeth.

"No wings to fly with, no ground to run on. No where to go but down I'm afraid!" Kuja laughed, waving a hand. The orbs themselves flew at her, slamming against her barrier in a continuous barrage. With a cry Terra snapped out the barrier and forcefully sent the orbs flying back. Kuja was sent tumbling back through the air as his own attack slammed into her stomach, an undignified grunt escaping his lips. He sneered at Terra, then smirked. A swish of a perfectly manicured index finger brought the orbs back into orbit around him. Terra stood up on the platform, breathing deeply.

"Oh good, even with her wings clipped she can still fight," Kuja mused, tapping a finger on his chin. "Good for you, since there's no where for you to run you may as well put up a fight, hm?"

"Do you see me running?" Terra shot back. Kuja shrugged and drew an arm over his shoulder, the orbs flaring up into fireballs around him.

"Not yet, give me time," he replied.

* * *

Tidus slammed into the wall, the wind leaving his lungs on impact, and fell backwards to lie on the ground. Behind him atop a slight ramp, Mateus swept his staff through the air, a bright purple crest of energy appearing on front of him. Tidus turned onto his stomach and pushed himself up. He wasn't even standing fully upright before the emperor swept his staff through the air, a quartet of blue orbs firing from the crest's center. Tidus lifted his sword weakly to block the attack, the force making his knees shake.

"Stop it!" Jecht screamed. He turned his head and pulled up in his chains. The metal rattled in response but didn't give. He turned back to Mateus with a growl. "Let him go, you want a fight you can deal with me!"

"Why? This is so much more entertaining," Mateus laughed, watching Tidus stumble as he gasped for breath. Blood dripped down his cheek from where he had taken a direct blow from Mateus' staff and a point had ripped into his face. With a cry of anguish he ran forward and swung the Brotherhood. Mateus leapt up and pointed his staff down, two orbs of purple light emerge and slamming into Tidus' chest. Tidus was pitched back again, the Brotherhood sliding down the ramp as it slipped from his grasp. "Remember Jecht, this is your doing," Mateus said coldly, locking eyes with Jecht. "It was the two of you who granted me this unequaled power, with your cooperated to bless me with the Crystal of Darkness. This is your legacy to each other, a painful death."

"Shut the hell up!" metal dug into Jecht's wrists as he continued to fight his restraints to no avail. Mateus looked back at Tidus to see him again struggling to his feet.

"Just lay down and die, it'll be less painful. I'll be merciful this one time and grant you a quick demise."

"Same…to you," Tidus panted, grabbing the Brotherhood from behind him and turning back around. He ran forward, and this time the emperor sidestepped, and pointed his staff at the ground. A bright blue crest of lightning flared up and forced Tidus to his knees.

"Fool," Mateus sneered, looking down as Tidus screamed in pain. Across the room Jecht watched in horror, blue light flashing over his face as the crest flashed. Golbez kept his head down, his eye twitching in time with the flashes of light. His hand shook and clenched in its cuff but not a sound left his mouth. Tidus collapsed onto his stomach, the emperor kicking the Brotherhood away. "You thought to destroy me? I am the right hand of a god, the chosen general of darkness. An insect like you could never defeat an emperor like me." Mateus lifted his staff back over his shoulder, a large orb of energy appearing on the tip. "Stand and face me one final time," he ordered. Tidus' head shook as he forced himself to his feet, his eyes half-shut as he looked up. "There we are," Mateus smiled. "A good tool to the very end." He swung his staff into Tidus' stomach. The orb of light exploded, and Tidus barely grunted as he was sent flying across the chamber, his eyes drifting shut.

"TIDUS!" Jecht's cry filled the room in the absence of his son's. A glimmer of blue light slipped from Tidus' clothing as he flew through the air, and clanged to the ground near Jecht. He looked down and gasped. Tidus' Crystal. Tidus landed some distance again and the emperor leapt over to him, slamming his staff into the ground as he landed to create another explosion, pitching Tidus down a hallway. Now unconscious, Tidus lay limp on his back, blood staining his cheek. In the main chamber Jecht grunted and stretched out a hand. His fingertips strained to reach the Crystal just a few feet away. Blood leaked out from his wrists as the cuffs dug deeper into his skin, Jecht grimacing but continuing to stretch. Golbez watched, his mouth set in a line.

"Jecht…"

"I gotta save him…that thing has to make him stop!" Jecht roared, his chains rattling as he pulled against them. His fingers flexed in the air, inches from the Crystal laying on the ground. "I can't stand by…he needs me!" his fingers shook as Jecht reached as far as he could, the Crystal still several inches from his touch. With his cuffs slicing his flesh and his muscles screaming in agony, it may as well as have been across the world. With a defeated cry Jecht's fingers fell back, his arms failing him. "No…" he moaned, clenching his eyes.

"Jecht…it isn't your fault," Golbez whispered. Jecht ignored him, his eyes closed. His fingers curled into a fist. A single, crystal clear tear slipped from Jecht's eye and ran down his face.

"Tidus…"

His chin quivering, Jecht fell forward onto his knees, his arms hanging in the air as their chains went taut. The tear on his face shook and fell, splashing lightly on the curved semi-spherical surface of the Crystal just out of his grasp.

The Crystal suddenly lit up in a blue aura, beams of light flashing through the air. Jecht's eyes snapped open in amazement, the blue of the Crystal being so bright as to appear white.

"What the…" The brightness intensified, and Golbez looked away as Jecht vanished to his sight beyond the Crystal's light.

* * *

Mateus stepped towards Tidus slowly and lowered his staff to poke Tidus' shoulder. Tidus groaned and cracked open his eyes to see the emperor standing over him. Mateus spun his staff around to the clawed end, the claw opening, and held it up over Tidus' chest.

"The dream ends again," Mateus whispered, a cruel sneer on his face. A shadow loomed behind him, and Mateus hesitated.

"Hey." A hand clamped down on his shoulder, and Mateus turned in time to see a massive dark brown fist slam into his face. He cried out in pain as he was flung back by the force, his staff clanging to the ground beside him. Stunned and in pain, Mateus pushed his torso up with a scowl. His eyes went wide at the sight before him. The same fist that had knocked him back reached down and seized Tidus' shirt.

"Get up runt." Tidus was hauled to his feet, stumbling slightly as the hand let him go. His vision clearing, Tidus looked at his savior, and his jaw dropped.

"D….Dad?" he whispered in disbelief.

Filling the hallway, Jecht towered over Tidus a full foot, the symbol of the Zanarkand Abes proudly emblazoned on his chest in white. His skin had turned dark brown, scales covering his limbs and the bulging muscles they now bore. A crest spikes emerged from his back and spread out into the air like a pair of bizarre wings. His hair was pure white and his eyes blazed bright blue. With a snort, Jecht raised his left hand, shifted into a gigantic claw, and made a fist.

"Sorry I'm late," he muttered, his voice guttural. "Got a little hung up back there." Down the hall Mateus growled and got to his feet, his staff floating up to his grasp. "Go, get Golbez," Jecht ordered, turning his head to Tidus. "The Crystal ought to do it. That thing can be pretty handy once you figure out how to turn it on. Turns out whatever dark powers you used to trap us Mateus, they don't much like the Crystals it seems."

"You think this matters?" Mateus sneered. "I possess power you two will never know! A half-hearted escape attempt and the power of a lone Crystal's weak light do not impress me. This is naught but a temporary relief!"

"Ya know," Jecht said, rotating his arms, "I think it's long overdue for someone to finally shut you up." He glanced at Tidus out of the corner of his eye. "I don't see you going runt."

"He's no pushover," Tidus said, regaining his strength slowly. "You sure you want me with Golbez, you might need the help here."

"Help? You're too beat up. Besides, don't need help." Jecht grinned and held out his right hand. A column of flame appeared in the air horizontally, and Jecht took hold of something inside it. The fire dispersed to reveal his sword, the tip glowing orange. "Just get the old man out of those chains, then stay out of my way," he ordered. Tidus nodded and cast another look at Mateus before running down the hall.

"You can't kill me," Mateus said. "I am the Champion of Darkness, Chaos' chosen general. I cannot be slain by any hand save for the Champion of Light. Any attempts you make to dispatch me will be in vain!"

"Yeah, maybe," Jecht nodded. "But just because I can't finish you off, doesn't mean I can't work off a lot of pent-up frustration." His claw flexed, and he lifted his sword over his shoulder. "Now, let's do this."


	31. Rebellion: Jecht vs The Emperor

Shards of Memory

Chapter 31

Rebellion – Jecht vs The Emperor

_**"He will not serve, only command. He lives now in terror of the shadow of Mordor and yet he still dreams of riding the storm. Unhappy fool! He will be devoured." – **_**Gandalf the White**_**, Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King**_

* * *

Golbez looked up at Tidus jumped down from a ledge to his level, his Crystal tucked under his arm. Tidus panted for breath as he approached Golbez, leaning the Brotherhood against the nearby wall.

"You have all risked too much coming for me," Golbez whispered, looking away. He was on his knees, his arms hanging in their restraints above his head. "I am a waste of your effort to save."

"Shut up and let me get you out," Tidus replied, holding the Crystal up to the chains binding Golbez's limbs. "Alright, how do the old man do this?" he asked, tapping the chain. "Don't suppose you're looking to bulk up too? Are you supposed to hold it?" Tidus moved the Crystal towards Golbez's left hand, hanging limp in it's chain.

"Get that accursed thing away from me," Golbez ordered, reaching out to brush the Crystal aside. The moment he touched it the blue shone white, and Golbez's chains vanished in puffs of purple smoke, dropping him onto his hands in knees. "What?" he said, surprised. He looked up at the Crystal as the light subsided, a hand coming to rub his wrist where the cuffs had bound him. "How…and why?"

"I guess this thing likes you too," Tidus shrugged, pulling him to his feet. "Come on, we should get out of here. Any ideas?"

"Where is Cecil? And what of Jecht, does he need help?" Golbez asked. Tidus opened his mouth to reply, when the wall behind Golbez exploded. The two looked on as Mateus hit the ground, his staff slipping from his grasp as he flew through the air and clanging behind him. Jecht leapt up to crouch in the hole he had made with his last punch, and dove forward. The emperor rolled aside and to his feet as Jecht's fist slammed into the floor, making a sizable crater.

"I think he's got it covered," Tidus muttered. Mateus lifted a hand to summon his staff to him, narrowly blocking Jecht's sword with it, and swung to fire an orb of lightning into Jecht's chest. Jecht took the blow with a grunt, digging his heels in as he was forced back, and charged forward. His fist buried itself in Mateus' stomach, sending him flying backwards with a groan and knocking the wind out of him. Mateus landed on his stomach, his fingers twitching as they tightened their hold on his staff

"I've been waiting to do this for a long time," Jecht grinned, slowly walking after the emperor, dragging his sword behind him. "You've been looking for someone to put you in your place, haven't ya?" Mateus growled lowly as he stood up, eyes flashing angrily. His hand almost shook as he clenched it into a fist.

"My _place?_" he hissed. "You'll teach _me…_my place? _Lowly_ _worm_!" The emperor held out a hand and conjured a large orb of blue flame that shot toward. Jecht jumped after it and swung his sword, knocking it back. Mateus was hit in the face with his own fireball, stumbling back and screaming, his staff falling from his hand to clutch his face. Jecht landed in front of him and punched again, sending him spiraling through the air.

"Yeah, your place," Jecht repeated in a darker tone as he stalked forward, swinging his sword over his shoulder. "You've been playin' me and Golbez all along, you laugh and gloat over us, and now you try and hurt my boy and think I'm gonna stand back and watch? I don't think so." Jecht reached the emperor and lifted his sword overhead, bringing it down in cleaving motion. A dark violet barrier appeared over Mateus' limp form, and Jecht's sword stopped in the air.

"You…pathetic insects…" Mateus' body glowed in a violet aura as he slowly levitated in the air, coming forward to set down on his feet. He glared at Jecht, his eyes glowing yellow as his blackened and bloody face came into view. With a cruel sneer and a showing of teeth, Mateus placed his hands on the barrier's inside. "You think to defeat _me?_" With a shove of the hands the barrier expanded, knocking Jecht back. Mateus flung out a hand and sent a curved arc of lightning to shock Jecht in mid-air, pushing him back. The wall behind Jecht shattered as he hit it, leaving him to fall backwards and roll along Pandaemonium's roof. He looked up to see Mateus' shadowed form approaching. The violet aura over his body intensified, his yellow eyes blazing like a demon's in the darkness.

"I have spent weeks, months, planning my gambits, every angle, every potential set-back and obstacle calculated and overcome. 'Twas a scheme not even a god could conceive, executed flawlessly," he whispered as he approached. As he walked the emperor's face elongated, his lips drawing back to reveal a row of fangs. The spikes on his armor became darker and longer, spiraling into the air around him. "And now, I am expected to lay down and die because of the intervention of an upstart brute like you?" Mateus stepped out onto the roof and flung out a hand, his staff flying out behind him to hover at his side. The aura subsided over the transformed emperor, and Mateus grabbed his staff and held it over his head.

"_I think NOT!_"

The Crystal of Darkness on Mateus' staff glowed bright purple, and an array of lightning bolts shot out of it in all directions. Jecht turned away and lifted his hand to shield his face as they zapped the roof and air around him. The wind picked up around them, the clouds overhead darkening. Mateus lowered his staff and pointed it at Jecht, a beam of dark energy firing forward. Jecht looked through his fingers and lifted his sword. He swung and sliced into the beam, diverting its energy to the sides. Mateus snarled and thrust his staff into the air. Jagged spikes of purple stone erupted from the ground, and Jecht cried out as they flung him into the air. Runic symbols appeared in the air surrounding him, firing blasts of blue energy that drove him back down. Jecht landed heavily and groaned, panting for breathing.

"Cowardly worm, you shall grovel at my feet for this insolence!" Mateus roared, the Crystal of Darkness humming with energy. "Now see the price one will pay for defying the Lord Master of Hell!"

* * *

Terra leapt to avoid an explosive fireball slamming into the platform where she had stood moments ago, purple and blue stone cracking and falling into the pit below. Behind her Kuja was conducting the orbs of energy circling him with his hand, the five swirling around him before launching forward. Terra winced as they flew past her, then turned in the air to come back towards her. The orbs slammed into her stomach and knocked her back, Kuja conjuring a large orb of flame between his palms. As Terra came near him he flung it forward, slamming her back and up into a wall. She fell forward onto the floor, her face stinging from the heat.

"Can't…keep running," she whispered to herself, standing up. In this place she couldn't fly and her powers were weaker, but she wasn't _totally _helpless. Two fireballs came towards her and Terra pushed herself forward, swinging her sword out to slash them out of the air. Embers flew by her head as she ran and leapt, her other hand conjuring an orb of blue energy. Terra landed on a platform and snapped her arm out to send a flurry of light orbs at Kuja. Kuja laughed and ducked down, the orbs spiraling past him and dispersing against a wall. He swooped back up and held his arms up, a swarm of purple energy orbs firing at Terra. She erected a barrier and deflected the first several, but the power drain of the area took its toll and the barrier shattered, leaving her to be driven back to collapse on the floor on the side of the pit.

"Such a pity, I had expected more with the many tales Kefka once told of your power. He told of a creature of destructive beauty with magical power to rival his own. I had hoped for such a lovely dance between us, not this petty chase. How dull," Kuja thought aloud, lifting the back of his hand to his chin. "Perhaps the bindings of Pandaemonium are too strong for you to use your full might. I would lure you to the sky to fight you on equal terms, but alas, my desires must take second priority to my orders."

"You talk too much," Terra groaned, looking up at him. Kuja sneered and flew forward, hand drawn back over his shoulder. Terra held out a hand and fired a large shard of ice at him, which the silver-haired mage dodged easily. _"He's right though," _she thought, dodging three fireballs. Her reflexes and strength were hampered, and the throbbing in her head was distorting her concentration. At her full power that spell likely would have been much faster and aimed better, but she was stuck fighting in a place where her magic was weakened. _"Then…don't use magic…or at least not on him. He can fly too freely for me to land a hit, so there has to be something else I can do…"_

"Come over here!" Kuja called, raising a hand and launching a large orb of flame. Terra ran and leapt over to a platform. "You're not getting away!" Three orbs of blue light flung past Terra, and she lifted her arms as she landed. A barrier ripped up over her as the orbs turned as she knew they would, and Terra looked over her shoulder as the orbs slammed into it, catapulting her forward towards Kuja. Kuja gasped in shock as Terra flew past him, swinging her sword. Kuja clutched his face as a thin strip of blood appeared over his cheek, Terra landing on the floor behind him. He pulled his hand back, glared at the red smear on his palm, and turned to give Terra cruel leer.

"That wasn't bad at all," he conceded. "But you're too weak to do any real damage with a blade, too weak and too slow. Such a shame."

"If she's too weak for you, try me!" Kuja spun around as Cecil emerged from another passage, sword in hand. The genome scowled and floated further away from him.

"Cecil? What happened to Tidus?" Terra called.

"When we parted he was fighting Emperor Mateus with Jecht and Golbez watch," Cecil replied. "He can handle himself, we've got our own opponent now!" Terra nodded in agreement and the two turned back to Kuja. The elegant mage did a twirl in the air and held a hand up to his mouth, chuckling.

"My my my, how bloodthirsty you so-called 'heroes' are," he taunted. A red aura lit up over his body. "And how low of these heroes to gang up on an opponent. Two on one are hardly even odds. I feel _so_ outmatched." Kuja's eyed glowed violet as the red aura blazed brighter. "I guess then, I suppose if I must then I shall bring the curtains down on you both, with a finale worthy of Lord Avon himself!" Kuja tilted his head back, the red aura flaring purple, then dying down after a flash of light. Kuja floated before them nude save for a few well-placed patches of lavender fur. The rest of his body was bright red, and a thick, muscular tail flicked around in the air behind him. He opened glowing red eyes and smiled.

"Now, the last act," he whispered. "Enjoy your final requiem!" Kuja flung his hands out to the side and rose into the air. A glowing white and blue ring of energy appeared between his palms, and with a push on the air before him Kuja fired a large orb of flame out from within the orbs. Terra dodged as the fireball exploded violently on the wall, sending flaming rock down around her. Kuja kept it up, more orbs of fire bursting from the ring to keep Terra running to evade them. Cecil leapt onto a platform and jumped again, sword coming forward at Kuja's chest. Kuja turned an eye as Cecil approached and the glowing orbs orbiting him acted of their own accord, spinning into place at his side and lighting up in fire before slamming into Cecil at point-blank range. Cecil cringed, his momentum halted, and Kuja turned and swept an arm through the air. The orbs flashed with holy energy as they rapidly spun around him, bombarding Cecil and sending him flying into a wall.

Kuja turned back to Terra as she ran forward and jumping, pushing an orb of ice through the air with her hand. Balls of flame fired forward from the orbs circling Kuja as the genome himself floated backwards, laughing as the air became heated with the fires following his trail. He approached Cecil and waved a hand, sending an orb of light out into Cecil's chest. The orb exploded in a brilliant flash, stunning Cecil in a web of blue energy. Terra jumped after him and Kuja spun around. His orbs flew out and surrounded her momentarily, then slammed into her at the same time from all directions, a burst of flame under her pitching Terra heels over head to land beside Cecil

"Marvelous isn't it?" Kuja laughed, tossing a lock of his hair out of his eyes. "Don't quit now, heroes!" Cecil and Terra looked up at him as he floated back in the air, the orbs dancing in formation in front of him. "This is your final performance after all, make the most of it!"

* * *

Jecht ducked to avoid a beam of darkness and ran forward, throwing his sword. The spinning blade narrowly missed the emperor as Mateus jumped and held out a hand. More spikes of rock erupted from the ground, Jecht lifted a hand to punch them apart and slid to grab his weapon, cleaving it in a circle around him as a cage of stone rose up on all sides. Mateus landed and pointed his staff forward, several orbs of lightning manifesting from the tip and firing as projectiles. Jecht stumbled backwards under the assault, falling to one knee. The roof of Pandaemonium was littered with impact craters and cracks from where both battlers had hit hard on landing, and from where their blows had missed their marks.

"Do you see now?" Mateus laughed, holding out a hand. A blast of blue flame consumed Jecht, and he raised his sword to shield himself from the brunt of it. "This is the price you pay for your treachery! You are naught but a pathetic brute, a bug under my heel to be crushed!" Mateus slammed his staff into the ground, sending a wave of dark energy forward. Jecht was knocked back off his feet and flipped backwards with a groan. He pushed himself to his feet and leapt into the air, a flaming aura appearing over his fist. He descended and narrowly missed as Mateus dodged the attack, slamming his staff into Jecht's back and launching him forward in a blast of energy. Jecht turned in the air and landed on his feet, pushing off for another run.

"Pitiful. A brute who charges in blindly shall be dispatched just as quickly as he came," Mateus sneered, holding up a hand. A blast of lightning shocked Jecht but he kept running and sliced into Mateus' chest with his sword, the emperor's armor cracking. He was knocked back and raised his staff to project a barrier, flinging Jecht away as he punched the barrier and the backlash struck him. A crest of lightning rose up around him as he landed, binding Jecht to the roof. "Now, lay there, and receive your final reward!" Mateus flung out his hands, his staff hovering in the air before him. Sparks of lightning jumped over his limbs as a large runic symbol lit up under his feet, a six-pointed star tracing out within a circle. Mateus' staff circled him rapidly, a whirlwind forming over him and stretching up into the clouds. Tidus and Golbez appeared in the hole leading into Pandaemonium, and Tidus ran forward.

"Dad!"

"Tidus no!" Golbez warned. Tidus ignored him and knelt by Jecht's side, hesitantly placing a hand on the spikes emerging from his back. Jecht grunted and glanced at him, and the two looked up. At the emperor cried out the whirlwind intensified, the clouds parting overhead. A giant flaming meteor appeared within the sky, strings of fire falling from it as it descended onto the two. The fireballs impacted around Jecht, leaving burn marks on the room.

"Get going kid, this ain't gonna be pretty," Jecht said, pushing himself to his feet and shaking off the electrocution. "Get Golbez out of here!" he put out a hand to push Tidus away, but Tidus knocked his hand aside and stepped closer.

"No way! You saved me, now I save you!" Tidus insisted, jabbing a finger on Jecht's chest. "It's like you always said, when a Blitzer's got the ball, he's gotta score!" Jecht shook his head and looked up at the meteor closer than ever, it's shadow looming around him. A slow smile crossed his face.

"Yeah," he agreed, slamming his sword into the ground. "Blitzer…yeah!" Jecht turned to Tidus and smirked. "Stay for the show runt, and watch how a real ace scores!" Jecht turned and ran across the roof. Tidus turned and watched in confusion as Jecht charged towards the entrance to Pandaemonium, then jumped at the wall. With a loud cry Jecht pushed back and landed on his sword, and pushed off again to leap into the air. Tidus looked up at Jecht soared into the path of Mateus' attack, left claw pulled back into a fist. With a loud roar, Jecht zoomed up beside it and swung his fist forward right into the side of the meteor.

A shockwave of energy burst through the air, Jecht continuing to fly higher above the meteor. The cyclone died down, and Mateus looked up in shock at the frozen meteor, hanging in the air. Large, visible cracks had appeared in its side.

"That…this…" he muttered, stepping back in horror. "This cannot be!" Jecht reached the peak of his jump and looked down with a smirk, drawing his foot back.

"Wanna bet?"

Jecht descended and spun rapidly, slamming his heel into the meteor as he fell. With a second shockwave it cracked apart into a swarm of meteorites and rained down on the emperor. Mateus was driven back, collapsing onto his back and raising his hands in a futile attempt to defend himself. Beside Tidus Jecht landed, the roof cracking on impact. He reached out to pull his sword from the ground and slammed his fist into his palm. The dust cleared to reveal a limp and twitching Emperor Mateus. Particles of violet energy drifted up from his body as he reverted to human form.

"That's game," Jecht muttered. He turned his head and grinned at Tidus' expression. "Catchin' flies, kid?" Tidus closed his mouth and made a face. Jecht laughed, then turned serious as he looked back at his opponent. He walked up to Mateus, who weakly lifted his head as Jecht's shadow fell over him. His hand slowly began to stretch out for his staff, when Jecht's foot slammed down on its handle. The emperor tilted his eyes up to Jecht, who lifted a hand and slowly wagged his finger.

"I don't think so," Jecht grinned. Mateus growled and pulled his hand back, pushing himself up to one knee.

"I…cannot die," he muttered. "I admit I underestimated you, but only the Champion of Light can kill the Champion of Darkness. You're rather unqualified for that title."

"Good, I kinda like the thought of not being able to finish you. Means I get to beat the crap out of you 'till this champion guy shows up, if you wanna go for another round or two," Jecht replied. Mateus looked at him in disgust and lowered his head. Jecht looked at the staff and knelt down, slinging an arm over his knee and tapping the Crystal of Darkness on the end of the staff. "Now, this Crystal of Darkness, let's chat about that in the meantime huh? I hear it was supposed to appear for my boy, that right?"

"J-Jecht…don't do anything foolish," Mateus pleaded. "You don't realize what that Crystal symbolizes for us all…"

"But hey, if the kid got a Crystal of his own, seems fair to me that Crystal of Darkness is mine," Jecht mused, ignoring Mateus. "I mean, me servin' Chaos and all, makes sense doesn't it? So I guess it doesn't belong to you, not that you'll have much use for it now anymore anyway, and I sure as hell don't want it or need it." Jecht stood up and curled his large left claw into a fist.

"Don't!" Mateus cried, realizing what was coming. "Jecht please! You can't!"

"So that damn thing can go back wherever it came from!" Jecht snapped. He fell down and slammed his fist into the Crystal of Darkness. Mateus' eyes watched in horror as the Crystal cracked, flashed violet, and exploded in a small shower of purple crystalline shards and light blue and purple particles of energy.

"NOOOOOOO!" Mateus fell to his hands and knees and crawled over to the shards, grasping a small sliver of Crystal in his hand before it crumbled to dust. "You fool, you don't know what you've done! That was our one hope!" The emperor nearly sobbed as the remaining shards of Crystal also fell into glowing specks of dust to be carried away on the wind, leaving no trace of the Crystal of Darkness. Jecht smirked and swung his sword forward, stabbing it into the ground. Mateus' staff cracked in two as black steel sliced through it, and a second jab broke it clean in two.

"I'll take those," Tidus said, reaching down to grab the pieces in either hand. He turned to the edge of the roof and hurled them into the air over Pandaemonium's outer walls. "See ya!"

* * *

Kuja held out a hand to attack, and recoiled suddenly, his eyes going wide. Terra paused in her readiness to dodge and watched as he looked around in confusion.

"What is this?" Kuja cried. The walls of Pandaemonium pulsed brighter, and then went dark, and the area was cast into shadow. "M-Mateus?" Kuja screeched. He looked around in the darkened room and flung a handful of fireballs out, their momentary light faded as they hit the walls and dispersed. Within the shadows, Terra closed her eyes as a familiar tingling began to tickle her senses. She smiled and held her arms out, wreathes of flame spiralling down them to her palms. Kuja turned to the sudden source of light as Terra flung her hands forward, a large fireball forming in front of her.

"It feels good to be back," she whispered, launching the spell forward. Kuja let out an undignified grunt as he was flung into a wall. Terra floated into the air, the flames on her arm blazing brighter. Kuja grimaced and tossed his hair back with a sniff.

"How humiliating…but it doesn't matter! This was just a prelude, the first act! Enjoy this small victory while you can, the true climax of our tale is yet to come!" Kuja giggled and vanished in a flash of purple light. Terra relaxed and breathed deeply. She wasn't sure why, but the power of Pandaemonium had suddenly faded, and her powers had spiked back up. They weren't back in full, but she had had enough strength to wage an attack, and fortunately Kuja hadn't called her bluff. The flame on her arms died down, and Terra focused on the sensation of holy magic that she recognized as Cecil's.

"Cecil?" she called, turning to where she felt his presence.

"I'm here," the knight's voice came back. "Your powers have returned to their full might I see."

"Yes, not quite full but good enough to scare him off," Terra replied. "Come here." She lit a flame in her palm to guide him, and soon Cecil's face emerged from the darkness. "Stand back, I'm taking a guess and you want to be out of harm's way," she warned, turning towards a wall.

"Taking a guess at what?" Cecil asked. Terra responded by raising a hand and firing a large orb of blue light. The wall across the room shattered into rubble, and sunlight streamed into the chamber.

"A guess at that," Terra smiled, looking out at the outside. "Let's go."

* * *

"So…what now?" Mateus hissed, standing upright. Even in disgrace the monarch tried to recover his discarded dignity and pride. "Do you intend to keep me prisoner?"

"Nah, I'm too sick of listening to ya," Jecht said, shrugging. "You can go."

"What?" Mateus exclaimed, surprised.

"Dad?" Tidus asked, equally confused.

"Go, run back to Chaos. I can't kill ya, let him deal with you," Jecht repeated. "Besides, you're no use as a prisoner. Something tells me after that show, no one would come to save you." Mateus sneered and took a step back, hunched over and still sore.

"You will regret the deeds you have wrought this day, the both of you," he warned. "You may have condemned us anew…if this is the last we meet, then know I take pity on you, for so ignorantly ruining schemes you cannot understand…if you only knew what the Crystal could have done…" With a flash of light and an arrogant smirk, the emperor vanished. Jecht rotated his shoulders, then his body lit up in red light. It subsided to reveal him in human form. Jecht looked himself over and groaned.

"Aw, come on! I was just getting into it!" he protested. He sighed and turned to Tidus. "Thanks for comin', runt. I appreciate the rescue."

"More like you rescued me, so we're even," Tidus replied, holding up a fist. Jecht nodded and bumped knuckles with him. The two shared a smile as Golbez approached them.

"Golbez!" Golbez stopped and turned his head as Cecil climbed up the side of the room, Terra gracefully floating up beside him. Cecil ran forward and stopped in front of him. "Brother…you're safe," he said. Golbez turned away without a word. "What happened to the emperor?"

"We took care of him," Tidus laughed, pumping his fist. "That wimp was no match for the two of us!"

"What us, I did all the work!" Jecht shot back.

"Yeah, but I softened him up for ya, tired him out."

"Sure, he was real tired after knocking you around like a ragdoll. You're welcome, by the way."

"I hate to interrupt the bickering, but we have company," Golbez said, looking over his shoulder. The others turned their heads up as the airship crested the roof behind them, its shadow falling over them. The ship ground to a halt, and a moment later a red helmet peaked over the side.

"Yo! Want a rescue?" Onion Knight called down.

"Just in time, we're ready here," Cecil replied. Onion Knight pulled back, and a rope ladder was thrown over the side.

"Aces and winners first," Jecht grunted, climbing up. Tidus rolled his eyes and followed. Cecil turned his head to see Golbez standing still, his head low. He sighed and reached out to put a hand on his shoulder. Golbez didn't respond to the touch.

"Come with us, brother," Cecil urged. "Where else can you go but with us? We cannot leave you here, and your strength and wisdom can be of great benefit to us."

"My magic is gone, I've no weapon, and my so-called wisdom nearly doomed us all. My own darkness blinded me to the fall I should have seen long in the coming," Golbez said bitterly. "You would do well to forget me and hurry onward. I am useless to you as both ally and council."

"Golbez, you once lectured me endlessly on self-pity," Terra said, stepping forward. "Remember? You taught me to believe in myself and stop doubting my powers, and now you're like this? You did what you felt was right, no one blames you for what Mateus has done. Whatever you and Cosmos had planned, we need to know so we can plan ahead, to try and finish what the two of you began. Mateus may have stalled us, but the Crystal of Darkness has been destroyed, so whatever plans he had are also ruined."

"We journey to reunite with Hikari now, and then to the Chaos Shrine to finish this battle. We will destroy Chaos and his final minions, even if Cosmos is gone," Cecil said. "And, I've a spare sword, if your combat capabilities are truly a concern." He reached around to his back and unclipped the smaller sword hanging there, holding it out to Golbez. Golbez turned an eye towards it. "Please, I ask you to help us in this struggle. As a brother, help me…Theodore." Golbez's eyes darted up to Cecil, who held his gaze. Golbez looked back down at the offered weapon, and breathed deeply.

"…as you wish," he said at last. He reached out a large hand to seize the blade. "I shall do what I can." Golbez took the weapon, and a ray of light emerged from Cecil's armor.

"What is that?" Terra gasped. Cecil reached into a hidden fold in his armor and withdrew his Crystal, shining brightly. The sword in Golbez's hand shimmered blue, and grew. Golbez watched in solemn surprise as the smaller sword shifted into a larger one, the glow died down shortly after. Golbez gripped the handle tighter and drew the sword from its sheath, revealing a massive black double-edged broadsword, sunlight gleaming along its edge.

"The Ebon Blade…how?" Golbez asked, looking the sword over. Terra thought for a moment and looked at Cecil's Crystal.

"Mateus said the Crystals of Light shine when the courage of the Warriors of Light reach their limits…" she said slowly. Golbez and she locked eyes. Cecil looked at her and realized what she meant.

"Perhaps that is why Tidus' Crystal reacted to Jecht…Mateus called him a warrior of darkness with a heart of light…" he suggested. "It appears our Crystals have passed judgment on the two of you. They would have us bask in their light together." Cecil held the Crystal out to Golbez, who shook his head.

"I do not deserve the light."

"I don't think it is your choice anymore. The Crystal has accepted you as one of us, and so have we. You are the only one who denies this brother."

Golbez did not respond but to sheath his sword, his hand moving to brush the Crystal away on the way. Cecil tucked the Crystal back into his armor, and Golbez clipped the sword over his shoulder, the clasp resting against his bare chest. He was still for a moment, then turned to Cecil and Terra, met their eyes in turn, and nodded sharply.

"Let's go," he said.

"Thank you," Cecil whispered. Terra simply smiled.

* * *

With a crackle of lightning and a small cry of pain, Mateus appeared before Chaos' throne, stumbling slightly. He was still hunched over, and looked up to see Chaos staring at him from his seat. On either side of him were Sephiroth, Kuja, Ultimecia and Garland. The first three had varying looks of amusement and disgust, while Garland, his expression a mystery, had his arms crossed.

"Well?" Garland asked. Mateus heard the laughter in his voice, and it sickened him.

"Well what?" he spat. "Do you find amusement in my humiliation, my defeat?"

"Greatly so, yes," Garland nodded, laughing out loud. Chaos was not so jovial, his claws tightly clasping the arms of his throne.

_"You failed to eliminate the Warriors of Cosmos," _the god growled. _"Even with your Crystal of Darkness, and the power I granted you, you were defeated. Not by a group effort, but by one man, a traitor under your watch no less. Rather pathetic for an emperor."_

"I did not expect Jecht to wield such power! It is not my fault!" Mateus protested.

_"I disagree. What is most grievous is that you lost the Crystal you worked so hard to obtain…a wasteful day this has been." _Chaos flexed his arms and slowly pushed himself to his feet. _"With the Crystal of Darkness gone, your plans will be pointless to continue pursuing…you are relieved of your duty, Emperor Mateus. I find no further need for your services."_

"What? Do not jest!" Mateus replied. "I am your chosen Champion, Chaos! Surely you cannot deny my successful efforts to change the cycle of war!"

_"Success? I've yet to see evidence of this, and with your failure and loss of the Crystal, I've little reason to believe success is forthcoming. As for being my Champion…" _Chaos turned to Garland, who nodded at him._ "I may have been hasty in making that decision…fortunate then, that it is not too late to change my mind again." _Chaos stretched all four of his arms forward. Streams of flame burst from his palms and met in the middle, forming a large fireball. _"You have let Golbez and Jecht escape, you failed to destroy even one warrior, and you lost the Crystal of Darkness. One failure or two, perhaps I could tolerate, but three in a lone day? No…"_

"My Lord! Chaos, please!" Mateus pleaded, taking a step back. "Give me a second chance!"

_"This_ was_ your second chance. From oblivion I plucked your soul to serve me, and you have outlived your usefulness," _Chaos said._ "And so, back to oblivion I cast you." _A large blast of fire launched from between Chaos' hands. Mateus was burned badly within the blast, and was flung back.

"Ubooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaarr!" The emperor's death wail echoed in the air as he was blasted off the plateau, spinning through the air to land in the lava surrounding the throne. Within moments his body was lost under the magma, his melted and bent crown lingering on the surface before it too, vanished.

_"This has been a disappointing day," _Chaos mused, sitting back down.

"What now, my Lord?" Garland asked, turning to face him.

_"We will do all we can now, fulfilled our…destined paths,"_ Chaos said the final two words bitterly. _"Garland, you are my chosen again. Take these final three to the Chaos Shrine and make ready for the final confrontation. Destiny shall run its course."_

"Of course, my Lord," Garland bowed his head. "I am looking forward to it. It has been ten cycles and I am eager for a new foe…I hope Hikari chooses well. A pity he and I shall likely not meet a final time. He has been a worthy enemy."

* * *

Hikari stumbled and fell to a knee, panting heavily. A bead of sweat rolled down his forehead.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Zidane asked, turning around at the sound. Firion, Squall and Bartz stopped and turned as well.

"Nothing," Hikari replied. "I merely tripped. Go on ahead, I'm fine." Zidane nodded, and the four moved on. The warrior pressed a hand to his chest plate, blue eyes watching his hand.

_"You are almost out of strength," _a voice whispered in his head. Hikari gritted his teeth as his fingers suddenly turned into clustered particles of light. He glared at them and concentrated, closing his eyes to focus. The light particles shook and joined back together into fingers, which he flexed experimentally. _"You time is drawing near, and I cannot hold it back much longer."_

_"Not yet," _he thought back to the voice. _"I know who, but…we are divided. We must unite again before I can tell them…the one I need is not among those four. We need the others"_

_ "Then find them, and be quick of it. The light within you cannot sustain you much longer, and I cannot sustain the light much longer either. If you were to perish now, before you could…"_

_ "I know." _Hikari caught his breath and pushed himself to his feet. He willed away the headache, the sore jointed and general discomfort of his body and continued forward after his comrades. He almost considered discarding his sword and shield to make the steps easier, but decided against it. Even now, he had his pride to uphold. But, if it came to that, he knew he would do it. He had no other choice.

"_Almost time…I can make it…just a bit more…a bit more time…please…"_


	32. Fate

Shards of Memory

**Said user has private messaging disabled, so here's a big shout out to reviewer reikat – his review was #354, making this the second-highest reviewed story I have. As another milestone, this story is now over 200,000 words!**

Chapter 32

Fate

"_**When I lived, I provided for everything but death; now I must die, and am unprepared.**__**" – **_**Caesar Borgia**

**

* * *

**"Does it distress you, to know that your lord's desires can no longer be achieved?"

Ultimecia folded her arms and waited for Garland to answer. The knight was polishing his sword, the steel gleaming in the light of the Chaos Shrine's torches.

"The only distress I have ever felt in this cycle is the unknown threat of Mateus' machinations," Garland replied after a moment. "Now that the emperor has fallen I may remain confident in our path, as may Chaos. That is enough to alleviate any lingering doubts I may have."

"So you do not care that your lord is sitting alone in his dark realm pondering that his imprisonment will endure?" Ultimecia pressed. "Some loyal knight you are, to defy your lord's wishes for your own selfish satisfaction." Garland stopped his hand movements and narrowed his eyes.

"Chaos' desires are well founded, but the many cycles are taking their toll on his judgment, and in desperation he turned to an uncertain and potentially disastrous alternative course. Ultimecia, you know the grand purpose of our war. Can you claim with honesty that Chaos' whimsy is important enough to jeopardize millennia of work?"

"I claim no such thing," the sorceress sniffed, turning away. "I only state that which is factual. It is we who shall kill the Warriors of Cosmos, it is Chaos who called us all here for that purpose, and it is Chaos who shall awaken the Weapon when we are victorious. How he chooses to go about his path is his decision, not ours, and not yours. Chaos commands you, not the other way around."

"You know nothing of command," Garland said lowly, turning to walk down the ramp of the shrine. "Mateus' schemes may well have ended this cycle before its time, and that is something I cannot allow. Chaos is the god of discord, lord and master of all darkness. He must not fall prey to momentary lapses of judgment due to personal discomfort with our plan. I am his right-hand and so I assist in his needed guidance, to the outcome that must result. That is all there is to it."

"I see…so then, you're no different from Mateus," Ultimecia chuckled, casting him an aside glance. "You fancy yourself Chaos' better and would rather see your own plans succeed over his. And to think you posture and strut as though you were loyal…"

"I've no choice. I do what I must, I do all that I am able," Garland whispered, clenching a hand into a fist. "I am just as much a prisoner of this cycle as Chaos…the difference between Mateus and I is that he can afford to take careless risks such as that Crystal of Darkness…" Garland raised a hand and the doors of the Chaos Shrine creaked open. He walked out the doors to stand on a small platform of land just outside. A long wooden bridge connected the shrine to the ground some distance away. The shrine itself levitated above a giant pit, the Void pulsing far below. High in the sky the clouds swirled together into a funnel of darkness, thunder rumbling within them. Ranks of Crystelle of every color and shade imagination were in single-file lines on the far ground, standing at attention and moving not an inch.

"Hear me, elite minions of Chaos, shades of discord, manikins of destruction!" Garland bellowed. The Crystelle moved in sync to turn and face their general. "The Warriors of Cosmos come now to destroy us, and wrest the final Crystal from the shadows! This will not come to pass." Garland flung his hand to the side. "Find them, and eradicate them! If they succeed your existences, fleeting though they may be, are forfeit! Use all means at your disposal to halt their progress!" The Crystelle voices a single, warbling cry of confirmation. "Now go!" The Crystelle turned and marched forward, keeping formation and footsteps falling in perfect harmony.

"Do you truly believe they can do any damage to our enemies?" Ultimecia asked, standing in the shrine doorway behind Garland.

"No, but they are merely hollow puppets, automatons with only the most basic of instincts. These elite warriors are granted heightened awareness and intelligence by the increased power of discord, but they are still nothing more than transitory beings. They have no purpose to their lives but what we set for them, and their purpose now is to die."

"Seems a waste," Ultimecia said.

"Perhaps it may be, if my suspicions are not proven," Garland nodded. He held out a hand and focused. With a soft flash of light, a glowing blue shard of Crystal appearing hovering above his palm. He let out a long, low sigh as he watched the light within it brighten and dim. _"Hikari, the light of the Crystal grows weak. Your time has come at last, and you must now make your choice…do not disappoint me."_

_

* * *

_"We are fortunate," Cecil said. He, Tidus, Terra, Onion Knight, Golbez and Jecht were gathered around the unfurled map on the main deck of the airship, the map resting on top of a large empty barrel. "According to the images this map is showing, Hikari and the others are on their way to the Chaos Shrine as well," he said, the vocalization of the two adjusting the map's appearance to show the two blinking dot representing their comrades and their destination. "We can adjust course to meet up with them without losing time and then continue on to the shrine as a group."

"How long 'til we meet up with them?" Jecht asked.

"I've pushed the engines to their maximum, aside from the flight being a little more unstable there doesn't seem to be any serious problems with this. At this pace, depending on how long they stop for, we can meet up with them the morning after tomorrow, maybe sooner if we catch a good wind."

"Good," Jecht nodded. "Not to complain, but we got any food on this tub?"

"I can manifest some ice and melt it if you want a drink," Terra offered. "The taste is a bit off though."

"Nah, I'm good."

"Figures you'd be worrying about food with the end of the world coming," Tidus muttered.

"Can't kick ass on an empty stomach," Jecht grinned, slapping a hand on Tidus' back, making him grunt and jerk forward at the force. "I wouldn't expect a scrawny bag of bones like you to notice, but a real man fights with a full belly to keep his head in the battle." Tidus made a face but didn't reply.

"Cecil," Golbez said quietly, his eyes scanning the map. "What is our plan when we reach the shrine?"

"I'm hoping we can look to Hikari for leadership once we find him," Cecil admitted. "If I remember correctly, he said Garland holds the final Crystal, so when we reach the shrine we need to find him and destroy him. We outnumber the Warriors of Chaos more than two to one at last count, so it should be a simple task to defeat them, even if they've been given enhanced strength."

"Simple nothing," Terra said, shaking her head. "You know what Sephiroth did with his power, and the way you described it Mateus was tossing you and Tidus around like ragdolls before Jecht stepped in. We can't get complacent, even outnumbered they can still overpower us."

"She's got a point there, we can't just run in swinging blindly," Onion Knight agreed. "What do we know about them, fighting styles, capabilities?"

"Cecil and I faced a man in the basement of Pandaemonium, I've never seen him before. He had silver hair and fought with a combination of Holy and Flare-type magic," Terra said. "He was also flying a lot, he had five orbs of energy encircling him that flew out to attack on their own accord.

"Sounds like Kuja," Jecht nodded. "He was a wimp last I saw him, took him out with one good punch. Hope he's buffed up a bit or it might not be any fun."

"There's Sephiroth too, in that new form with the wings," Tidus said. "Terra, what did he do when you fought him?"

"He…" Terra pushed away the painful memories of Cloud's final moments and mentally analyzed the battle. "Blasts of energy, tendrils and orbs of darkness, teleportation. He's still got his sword, and he's swift with it, faster than anything I've ever seen. We had to struggle to get close to him to land a hit, but he was more than a match for Cloud in melee fighting."

"He might be trouble, if he took the two of you down we might need the numbers to overpower him," Onion Knight said. "So that's two of them, plus Garland and anyone else they revived. You guys hung out with Chaos' bunch, what's Garland like?"

"Big guy, really big. Doesn't talk much, but when he does it's usually something worth listening to," Jecht recited. "He was the only one of us to have Chaos' ear, except Mateus I guess."

"I spied on him training once," Golbez said, crossing his arms. "His sword is massive, nearly the size of Garland himself, and its form unlike any I've ever seen. It extends on a chain as a flail, and bisects into two for him to wield two blades at once. It possesses no visible means of shifting its form like this that I could detect, but it shifts so quickly that I could only surmise its changes occur by will of the user. To face an opponent with such an adaptable weapon could be dangerous. I recommend we be careful."

"Figures their leader wouldn't be a pushover," Tidus muttered.

"We also can't discount the Crystelle. We've had ease fighting them before, but we've seen evidence that they're getting smarter, and in great numbers they may still pose a threat," Cecil reminded. "We need to be prepared to face any unknown number of them, and to dispatch them as quickly as possible and press our offense to Garland. Even if they're in our way Sephiroth, Kuja and any other unknown allies he has are merely distractions. Garland has the last Crystal, and he must be our target when we strike."

"Agreed," Golbez nodded. "We will fight our way through the shrine to him, and we will destroy him. There is no other option. With all ten Crystals, the path to Chaos' realm will open, and we can confront the God of Discord at his throne, the Edge of Madness."

"His throne?" Onion Knight snickered. "Edge of Madness, Order's Sanctuary…who names these places?"

"All this talk of plans is good and all, but let's face it, we have no real clue what we're heading into when we get there do we?" Tidus said. "Terra and Cecil are the only ones that know what Sephiroth and this Kuja guy can do, and Garland is a mystery."

"We do not know much, true, but it is better to know little than nothing," Golbez said. "We've no perception of the true power of our enemies, but we know who we face and have at least a marginal grasp of their capabilities, and that is enough to prepare ourselves."

"Yes. For now though, we can't do anything but travel. It's late, I suggest we retire for the night and rest for the coming battle. We will need our strength. Onion Knight, if you can fly the craft for the night, I will take over its flight in the morning and allow you to rest then."

"Sure, pick on the kid…" Onion Knight grumbled.

"I shall fly the craft. I do not need much sleep," Golbez said.

"Are you sure you can pilot it?" Cecil asked.

"You forget, it was I who took command of the Red Wings after your tenure in the position. I am sure I can manage," Golbez nodded. Cecil nodded back and the group dispersed. Terra watched Cecil and Onion Knight move to the stairs, while Tidus and Jecht drifted off to other parts of the deck. Golbez silently moved to the back of the ship to look over the controls. Terra thought for a moment, then moved towards Jecht. He didn't hear her approach, he was looking over his sword, kneeling and brushing stray specks of dirt off it.

"Excuse me," she said softly. Jecht turned his head and looked up.

"Hey," he replied. "Terra right?" she nodded. "What's up?"

"I believe I know of you. Cloud mentioned he fought with you before. Is that right?" she asked.

"Cloud, blond guy with spiky hair?" Jecht shrugged. "Yeah, we had a little brawl. The kid cut me up something good, he took everything I threw at him and still managed to come back and make me turn tail. The guy's got spirit."

"Why did you attack him?" Terra continued.

"Well, let's see, was a while back…as I remember it, the gang at the Chaos Shrine was planning a big ambush, set Kuja up to distract Cloud while Kefka did something to drive you nuts, then Kuja would run and leave Cloud to run back and find ya. The way I was told you two would fight until you were weak, then Kefka and Sephiroth would take control of the two of you. Thing is, Sephiroth was planning to use Cloud to take out my kid and his friends, so I roughed Kuja up a bit and took his place, stalled Cloud longer than they wanted."

"I see," Terra nodded. "Thank you, then, for helping us."

"Eh, you're welcome I guess, didn't do it for you though," Jecht shrugged. "My boy was in trouble, and I stepped in. That's all there is to it."

"Perhaps, but your intervention may have saved my life, and Cloud's as well. I'm grateful. It seems you and Golbez have been helping us more than I thought."

"Yeah, well…what can I say, I like being heroic." Jecht grinned and beat a fist on his chest. "Makes me feel all warm and tingly inside, ya know?" Terra giggled slightly.

"I was so worried that day, I thought I had killed Onion Knight. Then Golbez came to me in the forest afterwards, and told me he was alive. I didn't know it was him then, but he continued to appear and help guide me. Thinking back…" Terra looked away to the back of the ship where Golbez was solemnly and silently piloting the airship. "I'm not sure I could have made it that far without him. Him and Cloud both…"

"He spoke to you after that scheme went down, huh?" Jecht muttered. He thought for a moment, then began to chuckle. "That magnificent son of a bitch…" the chuckles grew into full laughter as Jecht turned and headed up to the controls of the ship. Terra followed him, confused. "You are a piece of work, you know that?" Jecht said, stopping before the platform where the ship's wheel was. Golbez looked down at him.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Golbez asked.

"You set me up to take out Cloud back then, didn't ya?" Jecht accused. "You planted the idea in my head to take Kuja's place, because you didn't want to get your hands dirty, is that it?"

"Are these questions rhetorical?" Golbez replied dryly.

"Yeah, I know the answers…you played me good, Golbez. Played me real good."

"Do you think you are the only one I have manipulated? On either side?" the mage replied, crossing his arms. "I did what I had to do to see Cosmos' plan to fruition. This required you to face Tidus and lose, so he may obtain his Crystal. I guided you to that path."

"What do you mean?" Terra asked.

"Jecht was prepared to defect and join your side, I convinced him to stay and work with me to assist Cosmos, and to allow Tidus to defeat him and take his Crystal," Golbez explained. Terra blinked. Jecht made a face, and the two of them came to the same conclusion.

"Mateus used Tidus and me to create that evil Crystal," Jecht muttered. "I didn't know it then, but if I'd kept going over that bridge, if you hadn't stopped me…"

"Then you and Tidus would never have fought, and neither Crystal would have manifested," Golbez nodded. "Mateus obtained the Crystal of Darkness from you and Tidus, because I put the two of you on a collision course. Then, I lead Chaos to Cosmos' doorstep and allowed him entry. And even now, I provided a distraction for half your band from the true objective we only now turn our attention to." The three fell silent for a moment, Terra watching Golbez's face for a flicker of what must have been a maelstrom of emotion playing through his mind. "Can you two still say with honesty, that all that has transpired since we gathered at Order's Sanctuary has not been my fault?"

"It isn't. You had no way of knowing," Terra protested.

"Ignorance does nothing to relieve my guilt." Golbez looked off into space, his mouth set in a thin line. "Perhaps this is my fate, to be a tool of others, an unwitting pawn who causes destruction and sorrow to all he touches without realizing how or why."

"Fate didn't make you kill Cosmos, Mateus and Chaos tricked you."

"Did they? I did nothing but follow the desires of my own heart, and we've seen where they lead me. It is my destiny to be blind to my own actions, an unwilling condemner."

"Good thing for you then there ain't no such thing as destiny," Jecht grunted, pumping his fist. "You know what we do with destiny and fate where I come from? We punch them in the face and tell them 'piss off, I don't feel like doing things your way', and from there we make our own path!"

"You punch metaphysical concepts in the face?" Golbez asked quizzically, giving Jecht an odd look. Jecht grinned.

"Yeah, just gotta try! Everyone is gonna try to tell you what to do, destiny is just a bit bigger and more persuasive than the rabble, that's all. You defy it the same way you defy a parent or an official, you do things your way and don't look back. If there's one thing my boy and I have proven, is that there's _always_ a way, no matter what anyone says."

"Perhaps your 'fate' was to help Cosmos kill Chaos, and it was Mateus who interfered to stop you," Terra chimed in. "No one can know their destiny to the absolute end, so how can you possibly say something is 'destined' to happen? You can't, so you don't worry about it and keep going. What happens will happen, it doesn't matter if it's destiny for it to happen or if it's how people set them up to happen. And it doesn't matter if you were tricked into helping them or destined to, now you're free of them and can do as you like."

"Perhaps…or perhaps, this too is destiny. As you said, we cannot tell what is and is not fated to occur, can we?" Terra and Jecht didn't have an answer for that, and Golbez resumed his piloting duties a moment later, violet eyes scanning the controls and pointedly avoiding the lingering gazes of the two figures below watching him.

"Golbez…" Terra began hesitantly. "What was it you and Cosmos were attempting?" Golbez did not show any signs he heard her, and Terra began to consider walking away after several seconds had passed, when he spoke suddenly.

"As it has always gone in the past cycles, the ten Warriors of Cosmos collect the ten Crystals by defeating their chosen rival among the Warriors of Chaos, and then travel to Chaos' throne to challenge him. At the pinnacle of the battle, the divine dragon Shinryu appears and purges the land, destroying all the chosen warriors for both gods and restoring the worlds. Then eventually Chaos makes another play for dominance, seizes ten more Crystals and the cycle repeats itself. At least, that is the story told to me by both Chaos and Cosmos. If it is true or not I cannot say. My goal was to assist you heroes in obtaining your Crystals sooner by guiding your journeys and helping you overcome your psychological limitations, in the hopes we could do as we do now – journey to the Chaos Shrine and use the Crystals to enter Chaos' realm, and destroy him before Shinryu awakens. Of course, the intent was for Cosmos to be alive at this point…"

"If we kill Chaos now…then both gods are dead," Terra whispered. "What happens when both gods are gone for good? What happens to Shinryu, and the Crystals…what happens to our worlds?" Golbez closed his eyes.

"I very much wish I had an answer…"

* * *

Sephiroth stood silent in his quarters in the Chaos Shrine, green eyes surveying the room without a flicker of emotion. He had almost become accustomed to this place, in his several months here. Time had passed so quickly it seemed. To his surprise he had even come to welcome the return of his need for sleep, and the restfulness and relaxation that it brought as he remembered. That would all be gone, soon.

"Sephiroth." The swordsman turned his head as Kuja floated down the hall towards him. "I have been waiting for a chance to speak to you privately," the genome smiled, lowering to his feet in front of him.

"Is that so?" Sephiroth asked, turning fully to face him.

"Oh yes, I simply _had_ to offer my sincerest congratulations to you," Kuja held out a perfectly manicured hand. "As you are the only one of our number to dispatch one of Cosmos' peons." Sephiroth thought for a moment, then took Kuja's hand and shook it.

"I have long been able to destroy Cloud. In the past, my own arrogance and underestimation of his power lead me to squander my chance to deliver the final blow. This time, I did not allow myself such diversions, and the results are self-evident."

"Of course, of course, a weakness we all share, is it not?" Kuja said drolly, waving his hand through the air as Sephiroth released it. "Hubris and gloating, we have our chances to finish them but somehow they prevail despite being inferior to us in power. I've more strength in one finger than that cretin Zidane has in his entire being, and yet I lose. Such a tragic comedy…"

"Yes," Sephiroth agreed, ignoring the genome's forced elegance in speech. "Cloud…he is a mystery to me even now. I have faced many opponents in my lifetime, and prevailed against all of them. Compared to my past foes Cloud is nothing special, he has no genetic augmentations beyond what any other SOLDIER would have, he possesses no magical powers and is not particularly skilled or well-trained…yet somehow, he always found a way to defeat me…" His eyes grew distant as Sephiroth mentally replayed their many clashes. Three times they had fought each other in single combat, and three times had he been beaten.

"I have been challenged by countless enemies, but Cloud was different from them, and not simply because he has been the only one to defeat me…somehow, in spite of being superior to him in every way, I continually lost. I still cannot understand it, but he possessed strength beyond my own somehow…" Sephiroth closed his eyes and smirked. "To defeat me again and again, even if by consequence of my own arrogance, is something I will never forget. Though I am loathe to admit it…Cloud may be the closest I shall ever come to finding a true opponent, an enemy worthy of exercising my full power against…hmph. Well, I did so last time, and look what became of him then."

"They _are_ a peculiar lot aren't they?" Kuja mused, tapping a finger on his chin. "It is as you say, we are superior to them, but whenever we push them to the brink somehow it just makes them fight harder. We take strength from within ourselves, using our own skill and power, which is why we are so strong. They, they are weak but take strength from wherever they may find it, and make it their own. We are superior on principal, yet fate toys with us as we toy with them and inevitably we fail and die to borrowed power and false hopes…until now, of course. A refreshing change of pace…"

"Indeed…" _"But we haven't succeeded yet, have we?" _Sephiroth thought. _"There is still a chance we will fail…as Kuja says, they fight hardest when pushed to the edge of defeat, and is that not precisely what we have done?" _He wouldn't voice it, but something was making Sephiroth slightly uneasy. _"Killing Cosmos, killing Cloud…it seems so much simpler than I'd expected…did it really all go according to plan? Or is there something else…Cloud…"_

_ "__No matter how much you taunt him, no matter how you manipulate him and try and control him, it doesn't change the fact that in the end, Cloud Strife is stronger than you could ever be! Why do you think he keeps beating you!"_

_ "Completely absurd…" _he decided, sneering as he remembered Terra's words that day in the Forgotten Capital. _"Cloud stronger than me…impossible."_

"Something wrong?" Kuja asked, noticing his face.

"I am merely wondering…" Sephiroth whispered, turning his mind back to his thoughts before Terra's words. "Mateus was always too arrogant for his own good, and sought ever greater power…was he truly content to settle for being Chaos' pawn? Or was there something else in mind?"

"Mateus?" the two turned as Garland walked down the hall at an even pace. "The fool thought to use the Crystal of Darkness to claim Chaos' power for himself. He believed that if the Warriors of Cosmos killed the God of Discord, then in the next cycle of war he would absorb Chaos' power and be transformed into a new god."

"A foolish plan," Sephiroth snorted. "How did he think to accomplish it?" Garland gave him a stern look and continued walking past.

"It is not of your concern," he muttered, not looking back. Sephiroth watched him go, glaring slightly.

_"On the contrary…I've very concerned…whatever means Mateus sought to use to become the God of Discord is something worth investigating…"_

_

* * *

_Terra blinked her eyes open and lifted a hand to her mouth as she yawned. She had slept surprisingly well the past night. The previous day had been uneventful as they flew at a steady pace to where Hikari and the others were. The journey however had given them insights on the world around them. More and more areas they had passed were consumed by the Void, and whenever they flew over the pulsing black and purple mass of darkness Terra got a chill. She swore the Void was self-aware and that she could feel it trying to stretch its hold a bit higher to consume the airship and the bearers of light aboard it, but thankfully their travels over the Void areas had so far been safe. She wrote off her suspicions of a higher intelligence guiding the Void as simple paranoia.

In the areas of land meanwhile, they had seen Crystelle. Hundreds of them, traveling en masse. It was Onion Knight who had noticed they were walking the same way they were flying, and from there it was easy to deduce the automations were either seeking Hikari, or were congregating at the Chaos Shrine. Either way, they now fully expected to be confronted with an army of Crystelle at some future point. The puppets were more aware now and they looked up and shouted warbling cries of gibberish when the airship passed by overhead. A few had flung up spells or thrown weapons, but none made it high enough to hit them. The only break in the monotony of travel was when they had come across a monster, a Behemoth. The giant purple monstrosity was battling a horde of Crystelles, spitting out fireballs and batting them away three at a time with swipes of its claws or a flick of its tail. However the supply of Crystelles was endless and eventually, as they kept flying and watching the battle, the Crystelle overwhelmed the beast and it was lost beneath a sea of color crystal, its roars filling the air. Terra had felt like they should go down and help it. They had compared notes afterwards and it turned out they all had experience fighting different breeds of Behemoth on their own worlds and none of their experiences had been pleasant. However, the Crystelle were profane automations born from corrupted light. They had no right to exist, while the Behemoth, a monster though it may have been, was a living, breathing being.

Swinging her feet over the edge of the bed, Terra stood up and slipped her feet into her boots, picking up her cape from where she had folded and placed it on the bed beside her pillow, and clipped it over her neck. She walked out in the hall and headed for the stairs to the main deck, stopping along the way to duck into Cloud's room. He was still lying bare-chested and motionless on top of the sheets, eyes closed. As she had done for the past few days, Terra walked over and sat on the edge of the bed. She reached into the pocket on her skirt and withdrew Cloud's Crystal. She placed it in his palm and closed his fingers over it or a moment. For some reason she felt it was important the Crystal and Cloud remain in contact, even in his current state.

"So, this is why you have spoken so sparingly of him." Terra turned to see Golbez in the doorway. "You had not mentioned he had been slain. I assume this is Sephiroth's doing?"

"Yes, and he almost killed me as well," Terra replied. She hesitated for a moment before saying what was on her mind. "Do you think there's….you know, a way to bring him back?"

"I do not know," Golbez admitted. "I have seen many things that I would have believed impossible beforehand. It is conceivable that there is a way, yes. A way we will discover? Perhaps we shall, and perhaps we shall not. There is no way of knowing for certain." Terra nodded, a bit disappointed. She had been hoping he would have a more encouraging answer for her. There was always hope, she knew that, but she had no way to pursue it.

"Hey!" Golbez turned his head to the end of the hall where Tidus was on the stairs waving them forward. "Come on up!" Golbez nodded and followed him, leaving Terra to follow, Cloud's Crystal still in his hand. The three emerged on the deck of the ship to find Onion Knight piloting with Cecil overlooking the map nearby. Jecht was at the bow of the ship looking over the edge and turned his head in their direction.

"Look!" Jecht pointed down, and Terra and Golbez walked up to him and looked over the edge of the airship. A few small distant forms were on the ground in the distance, walking across a grassy plain. "I think it's them!" Onion Knight nodded and adjusted the controls, the airship slowing down and lowering. As they came closer Terra saw the figures up ahead turn, and one of them broke off and ran towards them. She could make out Zidane's tail on the figure's backside at the same time she noticed he was screaming and flailing his arms. A strange sensation crept up her spine, and Terra's senses went on alert.

"Something's wrong," she whispered. She looked at the ground and put a hand on the railing of the ship, jumping over the side and gliding to the ground. Beside her the ship ground to a halt, and a rope ladder was thrown over the edge.

"Nice find!" Zidane called, running up to her. "I think we're gonna need it. We've got a problem."

"What is it?" Terra asked. Beside her Cecil climbed down the ladder, Tidus still climbing up higher.

"It's…Hikari," Zidane said slowly. Behind him the other four came into view, and Terra saw what he meant. Bartz was carrying the warrior's shield and sword, and Hikari himself was stumbling to stay upright, Firion and Squall supporting his arms over their shoulders. Sweat rolled down his face, and his breathing was labored. Terra watched with a feeling of dread. The sensation she had felt a moment ago was coming from him.

"What's wrong with him?" Cecil asked.

"We don't know, he won't tell us. Just kept saying we couldn't stop to check him out, said we had to keep going and find you guys," Bartz shrugged. Hikari lifted his head and forced a smile.

"G-good," he gasped out. "We are all here…then there's still time…" He pulled his arms from around Squall and Firion and took a shaky step forward. He took a second step and stumbled, Cecil moving to catch him if he fell. "I am…strong enough for the time being…but we must hurry…"

"Is there anything I can do? I know healing spells," Terra offered.

"No…I thank you for the thought, but I fear even your magic cannot help me…this is the will of a force greater than any of us," Hikari replied. "Come, we must…I must speak to all of you together. There is much to say, and not nearly enough time to say it all…and one final task to complete. We must get aboard the airship…"

"I'll fly you up, you're in no condition to climb," Terra said.

"Thank you…" Hikari suddenly grimaced and fell to his knees, clutching his chest.

"Hikari!" Cecil cried. The Warriors of Cosmos watched as Hikari's lower arm suddenly turned transparent, a few stray particles of light drifting up from his body. He gritted his teeth.

"No…not yet…" he grated. His arm solidified again, and Terra knelt next to him. The dark presence had intensified when his arm had dispersed.

"What's happening to you?" she whispered. Hikari slowly lifted his head and locked eyes with her.

"I…I am dying…"

**Next chapter is another one of **_**those**_** chapters…you know, the ones you absolutely cannot miss. So don't! **


	33. A New Champion

Shards of Memory

**Well Dissidia 012 is out, and I pressure on with this story! I've been looking forward to this chapter for a long, long time…heh heh heh…enjoy…**

Chapter 33

A New Champion

_**"Take up our quarrel with the foe: to you from failing hands we throw the torch; be yours to hold it high." – In Flanders Field, **_**John McCrae**

* * *

Tidus set Hikari down against the edge of the ship, the warrior's sword and shield set down beside him by Bartz. His head was still low, his breathing slow and deep. The other eight Warriors of Cosmos were clustered around him, a few whispers and glances being exchanged but nothing said aloud. Behind them, Golbez stood faithfully by the airship's controls, Jecht leaning against the platform below. Terra looked back at the two of them, then back at Hikari. The warrior caught his breath and looked up, aquamarine eyes looking at each of them in turn.

"What I have to say…has been passed on from cycle to cycle…the true story…of Cosmos and Chaos…sadly, it pains me to admit this, but Chaos' story is also my story…" No one spoke, and after a moment he continued. "As you likely all know by now, when the cycle of war nears its end, Shinryu arrives and returns all worlds and all beings to their respective states…this is the truth as I know, so I cannot state otherwise…the truth that I do know is the fate of the gods when this occurs. When Shinryu awakens, he purges the land. Cosmos, safeguarded in Order's Sanctuary, is spared from the dragon's holy fire. You, the Warriors of Cosmos, and the Warriors of Chaos, are not…nor is Chaos himself. Chaos has been slain many, many times in the past. He battles the Warriors of Cosmos, and at the pinnacle of the fight Shinryu appears. He destroys Chaos, and with the spirits of his minions Chaos is cast into the Void. You, meanwhile, are sent back to your worlds, which are restored."

"That's impossible," Firion said lowly. "If Chaos is constantly killed, how is it he endures?"

"Garland…it is by Garland that he endures," the warrior said. "As I said, Chaos' story is my own as well…in my world, centuries ago, three comrades and I were chosen by the prophecy of the sage Lukahn, who foretold in a time of great darkness, we would appear to battle the Four Fiends of the Earth and restore their stolen light to the Crystals."

"Crystals?" Zidane asked. "I thought each world had only one Crystal of Light?"

"Not the same…some worlds have lesser Crystals to govern their elemental forces. My world had four such Crystals, and it was their light we restored. We slew the Four Fiends, but discovered a horrible secret…their master." Hikari's eyes clouded, and his head went low again, this time willingly. "To prove our valor to the king before he told us how to find the Fiends, we had to rescue his daughter Sarah from a rogue knight who had turned traitor and abducted her. We traveled to the north of the castle to an ancient temple in ruins, where this knight had fled: the Chaos Shrine. We faced this knight and killed him…the battle was simple, which surprised us. This was no lowly squire, he had once been the most famed and powerful knight in the land, a warrior bred for battle and trained since birth to fight, and yet he was slain with ease." Hikari clenched his hand into a fist. "If we had only known what he had planned for us. The Four Fiends, the prophecy, the Crystals, all of it was naught but a set-up to trick us into fulfilling his wish. He was the strongest warrior in the land, but he wanted immortality, and he used us to get it…Garland."

"The same one that leads the Warriors of Chaos now?" Terra asked. Hikari nodded.

"My comrades and I discovered that Garland had sent the Fiends to seize the light of the Crystals to power up a Crystal of his own…a Crystal of Darkness. Using it and his own powers over darkness, Garland opened a portal to the Void, the dimensions of emptiness between worlds where time and space are as nothing. With the Crystal of Darkness and the Void, Garland traveled back in time two thousand years, and absorbed the light of the Crystals of the past to transform into a great beast, a demon of unparalleled power and strength. He became Chaos."

"Chaos is human!" Tidus blurted out.

"Once, yes, he was. My comrades and I fought Chaos and narrowly won…but our victory was hollow. We turned the energies of the Crystal of Darkness back on Chaos to open a new portal to the Void, and cast him into oblivion. Before he vanished, Chaos seized the Crystal of Darkness from its pedestal and took it with him…and so we come to the present. Chaos' realm, the Edge of Madness, is a hell-dimension Chaos himself created in the depths of the Void. Since he was cast there by another rather than coming of his own will, Chaos is trapped within the Void, and can only travel through it and the two dimensions that spring off of it, the Edge of Madness and Order's Sanctuary. Your worlds, the world as a whole, are cut off to him. This is why he needs the Warriors of Chaos to seize your Crystals, because he cannot do so himself. Thus it is every so often, sometimes a few years and sometimes a few decades, Chaos calls ten fallen warriors to serve him." Hikari smiled bitterly and lifted his head. "And then when Chaos is slain, he and the spirits of his fallen Warriors fall into the Void. And eventually, Chaos' broken body calls to Garland's spirit, and the two merge to form a new Chaos. Chaos knows this, and it is how he is able to endure defeat after defeat. As long as he calls his past self as Garland to serve him in every cycle, Chaos will inevitably be reborn over and over, for eternity…"

"So you see, we are to blame for this. In our desperate attempt to destroy Chaos, we cast him into the Void, and there he endured and became a threat to all worlds beyond anything we could have foreseen…you have my sincerest and eternal apologies for unleashing him to plague all creation, though I am aware an apology is not nearly enough to do anything about it now…"

"Hikari," Cecil began, "what does Chaos want?"

"Chaos' desire is total domination over all creation. However, because he is confined to the Void your worlds are closed off to him. Thus he seeks to destroy all the worlds. You have seen it I know, the Void consuming the broken fragments of your worlds. This is Chaos' goal, to absorb all worlds into the Void and create a new world which he may reign over as a supreme god, unmatched by Cosmos or Shinryu or any other."

"Then let's get moving and stop him!" Onion Knight said, pumping a fist. "Our worlds are being eaten as we speak, and they aren't his to chew on!"

"No, the worlds are safe," Hikari said, shaking his head. "Though the Void consumes them even now as you said, Chaos cannot yet seize control of them, not without the corresponding Crystals of the world in his grasp. That is how the Chaos Shrine, and the places you have seen, are the lairs of our enemies, with the Crystals in their hands they can shape the parts of their worlds to their liking and use them as a base. In the same way, Garland holds the final Crystal and so the Chaos Shrine is their final stronghold. It is the Crystal of my world he holds, the Axis Crystal, the Crystal on which all others turn. As the Crystal of the home world of Chaos' human form it is tied to the fate of Chaos himself and his ability to revive. Garland holds my world's Crystal of Light…as Chaos holds the Crystal of Darkness."

"Another one?" Bartz groaned.

"Yes, the same Crystal of Darkness that allowed Chaos to be born from Garland. It is this Crystal, combined with Garland's connection to the Crystal of Light, that calls his spirit to Chaos' body at the end of each cycle. As long as Chaos holds the Crystal of Darkness of my world, he is invincible."

"Then that's our way," Squall muttered. "We find this dark Crystal and shatter it, so he can't revive anymore. It can be done, right?"

"…hypothetically, yes," Hikari nodded. "But never in dozens of cycles has any Warrior of Cosmos come close to succeeding. Chaos is simply too powerful to be defeated by any mortal. I faced him in a single cycle myself, and he overwhelmed me. His strength is unlike any creature I've ever seen, and he easily dispatched me. But yes…if one with the power of light could get close enough to Chaos, and use it to shatter the amulet on his neck holding the Crystal of Darkness…the cycle would be broken, and Chaos would fall into oblivion for eternity."

"That's our new goal then," Terra said. "We'll fight Chaos together as a team, and destroy his Crystal."

"Do not think it so easily done…many have tried before you and failed besides myself…but even if it is a fool's errand, it is the only way." Hikari grabbed the railing of the ship and pulled himself to his feet. "I have…told what must be told…there are more tales I would tell, but there is not enough time. You know what you must know now, and what must be passed on through the cycles…so now, it is time…I have one last secret to share." He swallowed and paused to take several deep breaths before continuing.

"As I have said I am dying. I am old, old in spirit, many decades older than I was in life, and the light can no longer sustain my soul…" Hikari turned his head and locked eyes with each Warrior of Cosmos, one by one. "Which is why, before my spirit fades for the final time…I must pass that light on to a new vessel…to one who shall fight Garland and Chaos, wielding the sacred light that can destroy the God of Discord's dark Crystal and free us from this wretched cycle…"

"I must appoint one of you to take my place. To become the new Champion of Light."

"One of us?" Zidane asked. "Like, how? Do we get chosen by the Crystals, or do we volunteer or something?"

"I must choose myself," the warrior said. "As my predecessor chose ten cycles ago to pass the light to me, now I must choose one of you. You will fight for ten more cycles of war, if you fail to destroy Chaos in this one, and then you will pass the light on to a new holder. This is as it must be. The light of Cosmos that empowers the Champion is the only force that can destroy Chaos…I need a powerful warrior, with a spirit and heart strong enough to bear this title, and strong enough to perhaps deliver to Chaos his final death…" The group fell silent for a moment, and then Squall stepped forward.

"I'll do it," he muttered. Everyone turned to him, a few slightly surprised. Squall ignored them and stared at Hikari. "I'll be the new Champion. Pass your light to me, and I'll take down Chaos with it."

"I am willing as well, if you see fit," Cecil nodded. "I know full well the power of light and darkness, to wield your light in addition to my own would be an honor."

"You both honor me as well, with your valor…but my decision has already been made," Hikari smiled sadly. "I made it long ago when we met for the first time at Order's Sanctuary. All of you shine brightly with your courage and tenacity, all of you have overcome incredible odds and powerful foes to come this far, and indeed any of you would be suitable. Indeed, if you were not you would not have been chosen to serve Cosmos. But, that day when all ten of us congregated, there was one with a spirit that reminded me much of my own when I was first chosen. His light outshone each of yours, radiating courage and strength like a beacon, and though I would like more time to judge him, there is none." Hikari narrowed his eyes slightly.

"But now as I look over you, I am confused, for the one I have chosen is not among us." A few confused murmurs rose up as the eight looked around, trying to figure out what he had meant. Terra did a mental tally of her comrades in her head, and gasped as she realized who Hikari had chosen. She took a step forward to the front of the group and swallowed heavily as Hikari turned his head to her.

"…you know of who I speak," he whispered. Terra nodded.

"Cloud." she replied. Hikari nodded again, and Terra turned her eyes away. "I'm afraid then your choice is made for you…he's dead."

"What?" Hikari exclaimed. "How?"

"Sephiroth killed him," Terra explained. "I brought him with us though, I couldn't bear to leave him behind…"

"I see," Hikari muttered. "And his Crystal, is it safe?"

"Yes, I left it with him below decks."

"G-good," Hikari stammered slightly, his arm turning transparent for a moment. He willed it to solidify again. "Then there is still hope…get him…bring him here…hurry." The group turned and Squall, Tidus and Cecil ran below decks. Terra turned to follow. "Terra, wait," Hikari said. She turned back. "You and Cloud are friends, yes?"

"Of course."

"Then…there is more to say…I would normally tell him myself, but I doubt after this I will have the strength, so you must tell Cloud in my place. These are secrets kept by the line of Champions, repeat them to none but him. Understand?" Terra nodded and came closer. "Good. The rest of you, leave," he whispered, waving a hand to dismiss the others. "And besides these secrets, there is something else to say for you and you alone to hear, unless you choose to tell the others yourself," Hikari warned. "Now, listen carefully…"

* * *

Sephiroth would have expected the molten magma and spewing geysers of lava to render the air around him hot to the point of pain, but oddly the atmosphere on the stone path through the Edge of Madness was cool. He didn't question it, he was grateful for the reprieve. Besides that, the walk gave him a minute or two to compose his thoughts for the upcoming confrontation. He did not want Garland to catch on to what he had in mind, and he was certain that somehow the knight would find out about his visit. Sephiroth thus had to make sure that what was said here did not hint to his true intentions. He reached the stairs up to Chaos' throne and climbed two at a time. As he crested the top and the god's resting place came into view, Sephiroth narrowed his eyes. Something was very peculiar.

Chaos sat in his throne slumped slightly to the side, his lower two arms clasped in his lap and the upper arms on the arms of the throne. His head was held down, and his chest slowly grew and shrank in a steady rhythm. Sephiroth finished his climb and stood still, observing the sight with curiosity, confusion and a hint of amusement.

Chaos, God of Discord, was sleeping.

_"Why would a god need sleep?" _Sephiroth thought, peering at him. He tilted his head to see Chaos' face, and the god's closed eyes came into view. Surely as he had once been without need for rest as a mortal, then a god should not need it either. Sephiroth had the brief thought to wake him and quickly brushed it aside. He was not a fool nor was he careless enough to test Chaos' temper. Disgruntled mumbles filled his mind, fragments of thoughts from Chaos' sleep drifting in the air around him. Sephiroth reached out his own mind to brush them, careful to not give away his presence. His curiosity deepened – they were dreams. Could Chaos be asleep willingly, to dream? It was the only reasonable explanation he could conceive, but why? Then, something else happened, and Sephiroth let his surprise show.

"Mmmmm….Mother…"

_"That could not possibly be his voice…" _Sephiroth thought. With a mouth as monstrous and deformed as his, by all reason Chaos likely _couldn't_ speak even if he wished. All other times he had heard of the god communicating with them, it had been through telepathy, yet he spoke with a human voice in his sleep? And of all things to murmur, 'mother'…Sephiroth began to reach his mind out to probe Chaos' deeper and discern the meaning, when he shifted on his throne. Sephiroth pulled back and waited patiently as Chaos awoke, glowing red eyes fluttering open. To his credit as a divine being, Chaos did not stretch or yawn or indulge in any of the other activities mortals did when they emerged from sleep. He simply lifted his head and shifted in his throne to a more comfortable position.

_"Sephiroth," _Chaos growled, speaking in telepathy as Sephiroth had come to expect. _"Why are you here?"_

"Lord Chaos," Sephiroth began, bowing his head. "I wish to speak with you. I've questions I believe only you can answer to my satisfaction."

_ "Ask, and I shall consider answering."_

"Garland and Mateus have never gotten along, and in the aftermath of the emperor's death it seems that his goal and Garland's stood in opposition to each other. Which is why my first question is, what is it that Mateus attempted to do that you felt so strongly about that you would grant your favor to him over Garland?" Sephiroth said.

_"Mateus thought he could end the cycle of war. His plan was simple – allow Golbez to betray us and run about assisting the Warriors of Cosmos as anticipated, until he got close enough to allow me access into Order's Sanctuary to kill Cosmos. And then, by his manipulations of Jecht, use the Crystal of Darkness to revive a few choice allies to kill Cosmos' warriors before they reached my throne."_

"But why need the Crystal of Darkness for this? You are a god, surely the handful of mortals Cosmos has gathered cannot pose a threat to you," Sephiroth lead.

_"I am eternal, true, and though my body could be battered any damage they would deal to me is fleeting. However, there is a greater threat to me than them, and it has taken my life before."_

"You have been killed in the past?" Sephiroth asked, now intrigued. "And yet you endure."

_"Yes, though I am loathe to admit such things. Whenever the cycle of war drags on too long, and the Warriors of Cosmos penetrate my stronghold, the divine dragon Shinryu appears to us in the heat of battle and destroys us. The Warriors return home, and my spirit is cast into the Void," _Chaos explained. _"Thus Mateus used the Crystal of Darkness to revive your lot, that you may kill them all before Shinryu appears…a futile gesture now with the power of that Crystal gone."_

"If you are killed whenever the war drags on too long, as you have said, then how is it then you survive to the next cycle?"

_"The same as you have, Sephiroth, I have a means to cling to the realm of the living no matter how many times I fall. For you it is your genetic material held within Cloud's body, while for my, it is the Crystal of Darkness. Its power allows me to regenerate my body through…certain methods. It calls the spirit of discord back to me whenever I am weak, and over time I am made whole again."_

"I see," Sephiroth nodded. "Cosmos has a similar method to resurrect herself, I shall presume?"

_"No, the divine dragon spares her for reasons I cannot yet understand, and may never. The death she has experienced this cycle is the first, last and only…now, is that all?" _Chaos said. Sephiroth bowed his head. He had more questions, but he had learned enough to act upon, and the god was clearly growing irate, or worse, suspicious. Either way, he had outstayed his welcome.

"Yes. My thanks, lord Chaos," he said lowly. Chaos made a sweeping motion with his hand and bowed his head, closing his eyes. Sephiroth paused only a few moments to see if the god intended to go back to sleep, but did not want to chance it if he didn't. He turned on his heel and stepped down the long stairs leading down to the Edge of Madness and the path back to the Chaos Shrine. As he neared the bottom lost in his thoughts, Sephiroth noticed Garland on the path below, standing silently and looking up at him. Sephiroth did not acknowledge him and turned his eyes forward again. He reached the final step and his boots marched from cold black stone to warm brown earth, not breaking stride as he continued on past Garland.

"What were you doing here?" Garland boomed once Sephiroth had taken several steps past him.

"I was speaking to Chaos," Sephiroth replied, stopping but not turning. "I had questions I felt only he would be willing to provide answers to."

"Questions about what?" Garland snapped.

"Nothing that concerns you, I promise," Sephiroth said, smirking slightly. Garland let out a small growl. "And now, Garland, I've a question for you," he continued, not giving Garland a chance to speak. "When I first came here, Chaos was asleep. Quite peculiar behavior, for a god to indulge in mortal rest, is it not?"

"Chaos spends his time as he wishes, what of it?" Garland said.

"Nothing…it's a curious thing though. I could swear I heard him mutter 'Mother' in an oddly human voice before awakening…my mind must be playing tricks on me." Sephiroth continued his walk down the path, leaving Garland to turn and watch him good, a look of concern on his face within his helmet. He turned his head

_"Mother,"_ he thought. _"Chaos…after all this time…you cannot possibly be remembering now…" _Down the path, Sephiroth's smirk had widened into a full grin, an arrogant sneer on his face. He had not filled in all the details yet, but a plan was rapidly forming in his mind as he put together all he had learned. Mateus was an arrogant and pompous twit, but he had aimed high and knew what he had to do to reach his lofty goals of power. Now where he had failed, Sephiroth would succeed, and succeed to a degree greater than the emperor or anyone else had ever dreamed.

_"The Crystal of Darkness…Chaos…you're a fool."_

* * *

"It is important you remember this, and tell him if this succeeds. Alright?" Hikari finished. Terra nodded. She had hung on his every word, committing them to memory to recite later. "Good. As for that other piece of information, that is yours to keep secret, or not, at your choice."

"Yes," Terra said. Hikari looked past her, and Terra looked over her shoulder to see Squall, Tidus and Cecil emerge from the stairs. Cecil and Squall were carrying Cloud's arms and shoulders, while Tidus had his feet. They set him down on the deck, and Hikari pushed himself off the balcony, stumbling slightly as he stood up.

"Now…the ritual…I pray this succeeds," he whispered, walking towards Cloud.

"You truly think you can bring him back?" Terra asked.

"I do not know, I have never attempted it before. The transfer of power, when my predecessor did it with me, was a simple matter. She gifted her light to me with the simple hold of a hand and concentration for a moment's time. But this is not the same as the transference as she did with me, so I do not know if it will work."

"She?" Zidane said. "You didn't say your predecessor was a woman."

"Man or woman, there have been many champions of both genders," Hikari explained. "Mine was a woman, yes. She and I traveled together to gather our Crystals, the last two of Cosmos' warriors to retrieve them. She told me much of what I have told you as we journeyed together. At the time I did not understand why, until she explained to me the night before we reached the Chaos Shrine that she was preparing me to take her place."

"What was she like?" Terra asked. Hikari closed his eyes.

"She fought with grace and skill unlike any I've seen in any of my comrades since. She was a harsh and strict leader…I thought her cruel for a time, before I began to see the tenderness and reason behind her method of leadership. I had thought she hated me, until she told me that night she saw herself in me, a reflection of she had been when she was first called – defiant, courageous, determined. That was why she challenged my resolve, to be certain I could fill her place as the new Champion." Hikari chuckled slightly. "She told me that while all Warriors of Light were cut from the same cloth, Champions were a breed above the rest, her exact words. She said…'we live to make the impossible possible'. I didn't understand what she meant back then…now, I think she was right all along…it is time to live up to that boast…Lightning…"

Hikari approached Cloud and knelt beside him, the others backing away. He looked over Cloud with unclear eyes. He ran a hand over Cloud's forehead, and nodded.

"There is indeed hope for his life," he whispered. "It is as Cosmos said, they are bound to life by the other…"

"Who?" Terra asked, kneeling behind him.

"Cloud and Sephiroth. Something about Sephiroth intrigued me when Cosmos showed me Chaos' chosen warriors. He has been revived before, and she explained to me how. Cloud holds a part of Sephiroth in his body, a taint of darkness that allows Sephiroth's spirit to resist death, for a part of his body remains alive. Now, this same connection has worked against him – the part of Sephiroth's body within Cloud has allowed him to cling to existence because a part of his body remains alive. His spirit is hovering on the border between life and death. I believe I can tip that balance…but at a risk." Hikari looked at Terra over his shoulder.

"I can attempt to transfer my power to Cloud, and in doing so perhaps restore his life. But the light will not tolerate the influence of Sephiroth's darkness on his body. Even if the revival fails, the light will purify Sephiroth's taint within Cloud, and their bond will be broken. Without their connection to give him a lifeline, if the revival is not a success he will be truly dead this time. And, if he should perish again in the future…I leave the decision to you."

"It'll only kill him if the resurrection isn't successful you said?" Terra repeated. Hikari nodded. She thought for a moment. "Do it…it'll work," she decided. Hikari turned back to Cloud.

"Where is his Crystal?" he asked. Tidus reached into his pocket and handed it to Terra. She looked at it silently, and then held it forward. Hikari took it from her between two fingers. It may simply have been her imagination, but Terra thought she saw it's glow brighten slightly in Hikari's hand. "Everyone else, present your Crystals. I shall call on their energy, their power over life, to grant Cloud back his."

"Told ya," Onion Knight whispered, smirking at Terra. She smiled back at him and held out her hands. Her Crystal manifested in a flash of red light. Around her the other seven Warriors of Cosmos did the same, some conjuring theirs to appear and others pulling them from pockets. Hikari placed Cloud's Crystal in his hand and clasped Cloud's hands together around it, his own hands around Cloud's.

"And if this does not work…it will be as I said, Terra. Are you able to do that?" Hikari waited, and after a second's thought Terra nodded. "Very well…please remain silent, I need to concentrate, I have little energy left and this will require all of it." Hikari closed his eyes and bowed his head. Without further instruction many of the others did the same. The airship fell into total silence, save for the gentle hum of the engines. It seemed an eternity passed, but it was likely no more than a minute, before Terra opened her eyes. She saw Onion Knight and Squall had already done the same and were watching Hikari, but no one moved or said a word.

_"Is it not working?" _Terra thought. Hikari has said it was a long shot, that he had never done it before and it had only been done one or twice before this. And with his energy fading…Terra became aware of a slight spike of magical energy a second before her Crystal lit up in red light. It became warmer and floated out of her hand, hovering in the air. Around Hikari the other Crystals followed suit – Firion's glowed pink, Onion Knight's glowed blue-green, Cecil's glowed dark blue, Bartz's glowed purple, Squall's glowed silver, Zidane's glowered yellow, and Tidus' glowed bright blue. The eight Crystals floated to circle Hikari and Cloud. Beams of green light shone out from his hands. With a cry, Hikari's armor lit up in golden light, the radiance blinding those around him and causing them to look away. Raising a hand to shield her face and squinting, Terra saw the seven Crystals around them take on a similar golden glow, Cloud's Crystal retaining its green. Bands of gold light wound down Hikari's arms, flowing down Cloud's and vanishing into his chest.

Terra's eyes went wide as saucers as Cloud's chest suddenly expanded. Cloud's opens snapped open with a gasp of breath, blue eyes lighting up in the same gold as the light flowing into him. The glow grew larger in radius, until both Hikari and Cloud were abask in it. Colored beams of energy the same as their original glows shot from the seven Crystal's surrounding them to meet as one over Cloud's Crystal. From the apex of their joining a column of pure white energy shot up into the sky and grew larger until the two were lost behind it. Terra watched in awe. She hadn't experienced power of this magnitude in years. It was comparable to the power of the Warring Triad, perhaps greater. It was true then…Hikari's light was the light of Cosmos herself…

_"No…not anymore…not Hikari's…"_

"Cloud's…"

The light faded, and Hikari swooned to the side, his helmet falling off his head and rolling away to reveal long white hair. The glow of the Crystals faded, and by some unseen force they floated back in front of their bearers and fell to the ground. Terra barely noticed, transfixed by the sight of Cloud. His eyes were open, staring and bright blue again, his chest expanding and contracting rapidly. More than that, the sense of energy coming from him now was astounding. Cloud's breathing slowed, and his eyes darted back and forth, looking to the sides, before his head turned towards her. He licked his lips and his mouth moved without a word. Then…

"T…Terra?"

At the sound of his voice Terra quickly knelt down and threw her arms around him, pressing her face into his shoulder. It took a moment but Cloud slowly returned the gesture, placing an arm over her waist.

"You're back…this is real," she whispered. Cloud tightened his grip on her.

"What happened?" he asked, his voice hoarse. "I…did I…did something happen? I can't remember…"

"Yeah," Terra nodded, her eyes watering. She sniffed and willed them back. "You were…Sephiroth killed you…" Cloud's eyes widened, and he sat up, Terra sitting back on her heels to give him room.

"I was dead?" he whispered. He turned his head to look at the deck of the airship, staring into space. "I remember we were fighting him…then it was dark…I couldn't find the light, I didn't know where to go…"

"Your spirit was lost between the world of the living and the realm of the dead. Your soul was meant to return to the Crystal, but by your connection with Sephiroth your body was still partly alive." Hikari pushed himself off the ground, particles of light floating up from his body. He turned towards them, and Terra gasped. Long silver-white hair fell over a heavy wrinkled face, his eyes dull and aged. Shaking, old hands reached over to pick Cloud's Crystal off the deck of the airship and pressed it into his hands.

"Hikari…" Terra said.

"This is…how I truly am," he wheezed, coughing partway through the sentence. "I told you…my spirit is older than I ever was in life…without the light to sustain me…my existence is at its end." Hikari turned to Cloud. "Sephiroth did indeed kill you…and by the Crystals, you are restored. Your bond is broken, he holds no sway over you now. You're free of him forever, the light within you will not be dominated by his darkness ever again. Cloud…you are my successor, my heir. The new Champion of Light. My light is now yours to bear."

"Me?" Cloud asked. "But how…I don't understand, what's happening?"

"It may take a while to reclaim your bearings…your spirit was lost for several days…Terra, tell him as I told you…help him in my place…" Hikari whispered. Terra nodded. "There is so much more…I wish to say, to do…but my time is up…" Hikari fell to his knees, gasping for breath. His body lit up in a white glow, and particles of light began to float off of him. Forgotten around the airship, sword, shield and helmet lit up in white light and dissolved into nothingness.

"Hikari!" Cecil cried, running to him. He went to put an arm around him, and it passed through Hikari's waist. "What?"

"It is time…" Hikari closed his eyes and smiled. "I go now to rejoin the Crystal as all who have before me…my comrades and my lady love Sarah await me beyond the final light…" he looked up to see the rest of the group before him, standing behind Cloud and Terra. "Garland and Chaos await you…go on to the Chaos Shrine…remember, the light is always with you…and so am I…" Hikari's arms and legs suddenly began to dissolve, turning into particles of light and floating away.

"No…don't leave us!" Onion Knight called.

_"This is the way it must be…" _Hikari's voiced echoed in the air around them as what was left of his body turned transparent, his eyes closed. His lips curled into a small smile. _"I have done all I can, now it is your turn…go, Warriors of Cosmos. Shape the future…" _With a final flash Hikari's torso and head dispersed, the particles of light shooting away into the sky. A few stragglers remained floating around the airship, touching down on the wood and steel and lighting up brighter before vanishing. A stray speck of light drifted towards Cloud and Terra, falling like a snowflake through the air. Terra lifted her hand to catch it, and it lit up in her palm before it too, vanished.

"Hikari…" Terra recognized the voice but didn't process whose it was. She felt warmth on her cheeks and lifted a hand to realize she was crying. A glimpse at the others behind her showed a mixture of tears and stern resolve, some both. She looked down at Cloud, who was staring transfixed at where seconds ago Hikari lay.

"Terra," he whispered, "what happened?"

"We need to talk," she said. "He told me a lot that I have to explain to you in his place. You've been given an incredible gift Cloud, power from Cosmos herself."

"Yeah, you're our new leader," Bartz nodded, crossing his arms. "And by the way, welcome back."

"Same here, good to see ya again," Zidane chimed. Terra stood up and held out a hand to help Cloud to his feet. He wobbled slightly but remained standing.

"Are you alright?" Cecil asked. Cloud thought for a moment, then nodded.

"Yeah," he replied. "Just a bit disoriented…can someone fill me in?"

"I will," Terra said, putting a hand on his bare shoulder. "Everyone, please give us some privacy, there's some personal things to discuss." The rest of the group nodded, while Zidane whistled at them and winked at her. "You know that isn't what I meant," she muttered, blushing. The group dispersed, and Terra turned to Cloud. "We can go below decks if you want to sit down somewhere quiet."

"Yeah…alright," Cloud nodded. "But right now, give me the abridged version."

"Abridged?" Terra thought. "Hikari had to pass his light on to someone else, and he chose you. You're the new Champion of Light, gifted with his power. And as Bartz said, I suppose that makes you our leader now."

"Leader, huh?" Cloud smirked slightly. "Well, at least that I'm used to."

"There's more to it than that." Terra gestured to the stairs leading to the cabins below. "Come on." Cloud nodded and began to head forward. "And before I forget, once more." Terra reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck, embracing him. "Welcome back," she whispered. Cloud nodded into her shoulder and puts his arms around her waist.

"Good to be back too."


	34. The Leader's Burden

Shards of Memory

Chapter 34

The Leader's Burden

"_**What was leadership, after all, but the blind choice of one route over another and the confident pretence that the decision was based on reason." **_**– Robert Harris, **_**Pompeii**_

* * *

"Master, please, reconsider!" Garland cried. Before him in the deepest basement of the Chaos Shrine, the dark portal in the center of four altars pulsed in response, a deep voice booming within.

_**"All is proceeding as it must. The matter is out of my hands," **_the voice responded. _**"You should have carried out your duties more carefully, Garland."**_

"It was not my fault, but the fault of scheming traitors!" Garland protested. "I did not know Mateus was plotting under my nose, I had expected Chaos to inform me of his treachery, but the God of Discord has strayed from the path we set for him. His thoughts are unknown to me now." The portal rumbled slightly.

_**"Chaos was aware of the emperor's schemes, and allowed them proceed?"**_

"Worse, he assisted the emperor, and for a time made him the Champion of Darkness over me," Garland continued. "And Golbez was just as clandestine in his assistance of the Warriors of Cosmos, it was not until Mateus told me so himself that I knew of his betrayals. Surely you can see that what has transpired this cycle is not my fault, with even Chaos plotting against us!"

_**"Chaos…" **_ the voice whispered. _**"Are you so far strayed from our sight, that even your former self cannot understand your mind? This pains me deeper than you could know, Garland…"**_

"Master, there is still time, this war is not yet reached the end," Garland said. "Surely Shinryu can revive Cosmos, with her alive the cycle may continue. Next time, I promise that Chaos shall keep on his destined path, and I shall keep a closer eye on my comrades."

_**"Would if we could, but no. Shinryu has made his will clear, the war will continue as determined. Cosmos' life was not included in the pact we set down in the first cycle, she will not be restored."**_

"But…then…"

_**"Yes. This is indeed the last cycle we shall see."**_

"That cannot be, our plan is not yet complete, Chaos still has yet to reach his ultimate power!What about Om-"

"_**I am aware that the Weapon is not ready, but there is nothing to be done for it. We have failed, Garland. Enjoy your final battles. That is all that is left for you now."**_

"…Yes, Master," Garland whispered, clenching his hand into a fist. Mateus…he had cost Garland more than he could have imagined. "And what of you?"

"_**These cycles of war weigh heavily on my heart…when we conclude this final struggle, I shall accept my fate at last, and sink into oblivion…Shinryu's will cannot be denied."**_

"Very well…" Garland bowed his head. "I have failed you, my Master. I am sorry."

"…_**As am I, Garland. As am I."**_

The portal closed, and with a deep, long sigh, Garland turned to take hold of his sword from a nearby pillar and slowly walked to the stairs leading back to the shrine. Not even possessing the will to lift it aloft, his sword scratched the floor behind him, sparks flying. His head held down in thought, Garland did not see the bright green eyes watching him as he passed the pillar their owner was concealed behind.

_"Master? Garland…what _are_ you up to?"_

* * *

"So basically, I'm the chosen one?" Cloud asked bluntly. Terra giggled slightly in spite of herself. The situation was a serious one but she couldn't help it, Cloud's voice and expression were completely deadpan as he made the assertion. He was lying on the bed in the largest cabin of the airship, she leaning against the door to make sure they had privacy.

"Yes. The latest in a long line of them," she agreed.

"Hm."

Terra had explained to him all that Hikari had told her. The line of Champions, Chaos' cycle of death and rebirth fueled by the Crystal of Darkness, and their current situation with the airship. He had taken in everything without a word, speaking only now that she had stopped. Terra wished he would say more, it bothered her because she knew he was trying to understand what he had been told and she could help him with that. She had left out the small secret Hikari had told her, she didn't want to make Cloud deal with that until she figured out how she felt about it herself.

"And Sephiroth killed me," Cloud continued. Terra swallowed and nodded. Cloud didn't show any visible response save for a flicker in his eyes. She couldn't imagine what he was thinking. She had no perception of how he had experienced his death and almost as little idea on how he felt about it.

"I'm glad you're back. I missed you," she said, trying to provoke some sort of reaction. As long as she could reach out to him in even the smallest of ways, she could figure out what was going through his mind. Cloud looked up at her and she thought she saw the faint twitch of a smile, before he turned away again. Terra relaxed slightly. A smile was good.

"Thanks," he replied. He tilted his head up and crossed his arms. "So to sum up, we've got an airship, we've got a map, Jecht and Golbez are good guys, and we're heading to the Chaos Shrine to kill Garland and Chaos. That covers it all?"

"Yes. I realize it's a lot to take in…"

"No, not really," Cloud shook his head. "I get it. Hikari's light, the Crystal of Darkness…I got it. I'm leader now, I'm used to it. I'll be fine. Just gonna take some time is all."

"Okay," Terra nodded. The two stood in silence for a movement, and Terra moved away from the door to sit on the edge of the bed, her back to Cloud.

"So…Hikari said the light will manifest new power for me?" Cloud prompted.

"Yes, he said it changes depending on the person, but you should develop heightened abilities over the next day or so," Terra confirmed. "The abilities will…reflect your inner self, or so he said. So I've no idea exactly what's going to happen."

"Right," Cloud nodded, looking down at his hand. He opened and closed his fist a few times. He could already feel it, or what he supposed would become these new abilities. There was an old tingling in his hands, electrifying his senses. It reminded him of Materia but he had none on him anymore. He heard Terra take a breath, and turned to her as she spoke again.

"Cloud…what was it like…where you were?" she whispered. Cloud closed his eyes.

"Terra…you don't know what you're asking," he muttered. Terra turned her head, a blue eye hidden behind her bangs as she watched Cloud suddenly pull his legs closer to his chest, growing tense. "That place is beyond anything you could imagine…"

"You said it was dark, I can imagine darkness," she said gently. "I've been there, trapped, alone in your own mind. It's hell. That's also how I know it helps to talk about it."

"The isolation is only the beginning," Cloud said, opening his eyes. "I've never felt anything like it before, everywhere I looked there was nothing but emptiness. I tried to find something, anything, I walked for what felt like weeks but it all stayed the same. I was exhausted but I couldn't sleep, I was hungry but I couldn't eat. I felt like I was losing my mind at times. I cursed, I raged, I ran and I stayed put. There was nothing but…existing. I didn't even have the wind of my breath on my hands, or the pulse of blood in my veins." His hand shook, and before she realized it Terra reached out hers to cover it. "I didn't feel dead…but I was there so long I think I wanted to be."

"I'm sorry…you're right, I can't imagine that. I've never known what it's like to want to die, and I'm sorry you had to," Terra said. Cloud's hand turned under hers to hold it, and he smiled.

"I kept trying to find light, so I could see, even my hand before my eyes was invisible. There was nothing to smell, nothing to see…but I heard something…"

"What?"

"A voice…I tried to find it for a while, it seemed to come from everywhere at once. I felt this force somewhere out there, calling to me to come towards it, and it seemed to be coming closer all the time. The voice told me to run from it, to stay away. So I listened. When I felt like giving up the voice told me to keep going, it never responded to any of my questions about who it was, but it heard me when I spoke back."

"It was _her_ voice, wasn't it?" Terra asked, remembering Cloud's departed friend. The night she had fallen asleep on him and she had had a vision of the woman in her dreams came back to mind. It hadn't occurred to her at the time, but had that been the Aerith Cloud knew back then?

"No," he said sharply, surprising Terra. "It was a bit distorted, but…it was yours."

"Me?" Terra gasped, blinking. "That can't be, I didn't do anything. I tried, I thought of things, but nothing worked…"

"Maybe not, but I know what I heard," Cloud insisted. "In the darkness I kept hearing your voice calling out to me, telling me I couldn't give up, that I had to keep running from whatever force it was following me…you really didn't do anything?"

"No," Terra shook her head. "But, if it was my voice you heard…I'm glad it helped you." She squeezed his hand and smiled. Cloud thought for a moment, and swung his legs over the edge of the bed to stand.

"Hey, this map you found, you said it can show you the path to anywhere?"

"Anywhere you tell it to, why?" Terra asked.

"I just thought of something," Cloud replied. "There's somewhere I need to go." He moved around the bed and opened the door, jogging down the hall. Terra watched him, confused, and stood to follow.

"Hey look, it's the fearless leader," Onion Knight smirked, waving at Cloud as he emerged from the door to below decks. "Feeling better?"

"Yeah," Cloud nodded. He began to speak again but hesitated as suddenly he found several sets of eyes on him. He had noticed his comrades off speaking to each other or standing alone, but on his appearance most had turned their attention to him and a few had come closer. "How is everyone?" he asked, feeling suddenly on the spot.

"We're well," Firion supplied. Cloud took a discreet breath and composed himself.

_"Right, leader time again. You've done it before, they're good fighters, give orders and they'll take them,"_ he thought. _"Just keep it together and look after yourself, they'll be fine without me around all the time. Makes it easier." _

"Where's the map I've heard about?" He asked.

"Here," Cecil said, gathering it from a barrel. Cloud took it and looked it over. "That light at the top is the Chaos Shrine, the light in the center is us," Cecil explained.

"Right," Cloud nodded. _"We're so close…I hope it isn't far." _He whispered a command to the map, and slowly a third glowing light appeared on it. "We need to make a stop on the way," Cloud said, setting the map back down. "Here."

"Why?" Tidus asked.

"Something I need to get there. Something important," Cloud replied. "It isn't too far out of the way, should only take a couple of hours to get there and back on course if we divert now."

"What's there?" Cloud looked to see Terra beside him.

"It's a place from my world, need to go there to pick something up," he said. "It won't take long once we're there. Anyone mind?" Cloud looked around, but no one spoke.

"If no one objects them, I shall adjust course," Golbez nodded, turning and heading to the airship's controls.

"Anything else?" Firion asked. Cloud looked between his allies a second time, more discreetly now. Most were looking at either him or the map. He felt self-doubt and concern creep up on him and pushed them away.

_"Of course, I'm leader now. They're expecting orders, they don't need them but they're waiting anyway."_

"No, that's it. There's no Crystelle we need to fight here so let's just take it easy and rest," he said. The group nodded and most dispersed. Cloud looked back at the map and turned to the steps back below decks.

"Going back down?" Terra asked.

"Yeah."

"Do you think you could stay?" she continued. "I think it would be good for us if you put in an appearance in public. Let them know you're really alright."

"I already told you-"

"Yes, but they don't know that," Terra cut off. "You're acting a bit too normal and yet, not normal enough. It's off-putting, to be honest."

"Well, I'm not sure how I'm expected to act. Sorry," Cloud shrugged. "How do people usually act when they come back from the dead?"

"I don't know…grateful to be alive?" Terra suggested.

"I am," Cloud replied. "I just don't feel much like running around the deck shouting it to the world. We don't have time for that now."

"Well we have time to speak to our friends. So come on," Terra urged.

"Fine. But…" Cloud looked away. "Can I…"

"What?"

"…may I borrow your cloak?" Cloud muttered. "We're flying on an open-deck airship and it's a bit chilly up here." Terra stifled a chuckle as she remembered Cloud was still only half-clothed.

"Of course," she said, reaching up to her neck. She unclipped her cape and handed it to Cloud, who wrapped it over his shoulders and torso. "If you're going to be our leader now, we really need to find you a new weapon or you'll be useless in combat. A new shirt might help too," she advised.

"I'm two steps ahead of you," Cloud nodded, turning to glance at the map not far away. "Why I set course the way I did."

* * *

_"The girl should prove perfect for this plan," _Sephiroth mused, pacing in the side halls of the Chaos Shrine, deep in thought. _"It may take from provoking, but I'm sure Terra has held onto that fierce spirit that galled me when we last met. I'll have to act quickly though, they could arrive here at any moment and I must play out my gambit carefully." _Sephiroth stopped his pacing and turned his head to see Ultimecia slowly stepping down the hall towards him.

"Sephiroth," the sorceress smiled, crossing his arms as she stopped before him.

"What do you want?" Sephiroth muttered. He didn't care for the time witch, not near as much as Kefka but he still disliked her. Ultimecia dressed herself up in finery and luxury as some sort of mask for the cruel and cunning mage she truly was. Sephiroth had no business with such fakeries, and her vanity was off-putting. Sephiroth recalled she had been the first of their rank to die, falling to Squall and losing their first Crystal. None had taken news of her defeat well, largely because she had gone out of her way to make herself a target as a way of taunting Squall. It ultimately proved her undoing.

"We've not had much time to chat, have we?" Ultimecia began. "As I recall we had been called to this realm for a short time before my untimely demise."

"A death that was your own doing, witch," Sephiroth reminded.

"And how, pray tell, was it that you died? Did you not allow Cloud to destroy you in cooperation with Mateus' schemes?" Ultimecia asked. "I must confess, when we were first called to this place after our revivals, you and he were two of my allies who attracted my immediate attention."

"Is that right?" Sephiroth snorted, unimpressed.

"Indeed. I make it a point to surround myself with powerful, intelligent allies, and the two of you quickly stood out from the crowd as both." With a small chuckle, the sorceress lifted a hand to trace a finger down Sephiroth's cheek. Green eyes watched the limb closely. "That the two of you were also handsome and ambitious did not sway my gaze either."

"Remove your hand, or I shall remove it for you," Sephiroth warned, glaring at her. Ultimecia chuckled and did as asked, turning with a flourish to face to the side.

"I wonder, what is it that motivated you to take part in the emperor's scheme?" she thought aloud. "Mateus claimed he would serve as Chaos' general, but we now know that he planned to usurp the god of discord and reign over existence. What then, do you think our purpose was?"

"Disposable pawns, most likely. He needed us to eliminate his enemies," Sephiroth said. "Do you honestly think Mateus intended to 'share' his dominion of the world with us?"

"Of course not. He planned to backstab Chaos. When one seeks to betray and overthrow a god, what is treachery against mortals?" Ultimecia chuckled. "No, I wonder why it was us specifically he sought."

"Mateus was an arrogant fool, but even he was prone to brief glimpses of insight. He needed reliable allies who he could trust to carry out his will. Who better than us three? Golbez and Jecht are traitors, and the Cloud of Darkness and Exdeath are but embodiments of primal destruction. Kefka was an insane fool. There was little choice in the manner."

"I suppose you are right," Ultimecia nodded. "And yet it seems even we may yet prove him wrong." She cast Sephiroth an aside glance. "I know you have spoken with Chaos without Garland's knowledge. You sought knowledge of the Crystal of Darkness, did you not?"

"And if I did, what concern of it is yours?" Sephiroth asked, quickly growing defensive. Did Ultimecia truly know what he was planning, or merely guessing and waiting for him to take her bait? It didn't matter, he had nothing to say to her about it. He would not serve as an informant to anyone.

"None whatsoever. Seek your Crystal of Darkness, if that is indeed your goal, for I doubt it will save you now. Chaos and Garland have resigned themselves to their fates, and now the scales begin to tip back in the favor of light. When Shinryu awakens soon, he shall do as he has always done, and burn the world, warriors and god alike. Then when the next cycle begins, Chaos will emerge, but what of Cosmos? Perhaps Mateus' scheme has succeeded after all, Sephiroth. Perhaps the Goddess of Harmony is well and truly dead, and with her death, an eventual victory for us."

"I am not so patient as to wait for that. Victory is not something that comes by letting others claim it and waiting for it to fall into your lap. Victory is to be seized by one's own hand," Sephiroth said. "The Warriors of Light now come here, and if Chaos falls, then we fall with him. Will you leave that to chance?"

"No. To fate. Chance is an illusion entertained by those who fail to understand destiny's game," Ultimecia replied.

"I make my own destiny. Stand back and watch, witch," Sephiroth declared, walking away. Ultimecia watched him go with a small smile.

"Then I look forward to your encore performance against him," she whispered, closing her eyes. She _had_ considered telling Sephiroth the little update she had discovered through a scrying stone, but after the chilly response to her advances, she decided it would be far more entertaining to watch him find out for himself. Preferably when it was too late to do anything about it.

* * *

Cloud turned over on his bed, still trying to sleep. It had been dark for several hours now, and the airship was quiet save for the breeze and the low hum of the engines. But his mind was troubled and refused to allow him to rest. He supposed it was unsurprising given the events of the day, a lot had happened for him to turn over in his mind, and that's just what he was doing.

The revelation that he had been killed by Sephiroth almost a week ago and was only now revived was shockingly underwhelming – he had had no idea what that dark void area was and now that he knew, well, he was alive again. That wasn't what concerned him mostly, though of course it still lingered in the back of his mind. His main thoughts now were on his eight remaining – pardon, ten with Golbez and Jecht – comrades and the fact that now he had been appointed their leader. The title "Champion of Light" as Terra called it, infused with the power of Cosmos herself to battle Chaos and Garland, and eventually to manifest magical powers of his own. Cloud hadn't asked to be any sort of champion, or to be leader. And yet, here he was.

_"I don't give orders…not _good_ ones anyway," _he thought, turning over again, the red and blue moons beaming on his face through the cabin window. He remembered the journey across the planet with his comrades years ago when he first fought Sephiroth. He lead them on a wild goose chase that ended up almost getting them all killed. They followed him loyally and he in turn followed Sephiroth like a dog on a leash. Unwittingly of course, but it made no difference to him. He knew leaders, he'd seen his fair share in SOLDIER to know the qualities. Leaders were men of strength, confidence and courage, people you could look to in the face of hardship and expect to feel better no matter the odds against you. He was not that sort of person. How any of them expected him to competently command them was beyond him.

Letting out a frustrated sigh, Cloud stood up, looking at the desk in the room where he had folded Terra's cape. The rest of them had insisted he take the largest cabin with the desk and the bigger bed, telling him it was obviously intended for the head of the airship. He had accepted because it was easier than arguing, and he knew he would lose. Grabbing Terra's cape and wrapping it over his shoulders, he opened the door and stepped down the hall. The sounds of soft breathing filled the air, and he looked over the doors realizing he'd not thought to ask Terra which room was hers. Deciding to avoid waking his companions to find out, he ignored the doors and ascended the stairs to the main deck.

"Cloud?" Cloud turned his head as he came up to see Golbez watching him from the airship's wheel.

"Don't you sleep?" Cloud asked, a bit irritated by the warlock's presence. He had come up here expecting to be alone. "As I recall you were fully awake earlier in the day. Everyone else was exhausted."

"I do not need much sleep," Golbez said with a small shrug. "I can never sleep more than a few hours, if at all. I figure I've slept for the past eighteen years of my life, and now I'm making up for it. You?"

"Too much on my mind. Came up here to think."

"Of course."

Golbez fell silent and turned his attention back to the controls. At least he could take a hint then, and for that Cloud was grateful. He crossed to the edge of the airship, gripping Terra's cloak tighter to make sure it didn't blow away in the chilly night wind. The land below was a sprawling desert, and Cloud thought of how they would have had to cross it on foot if they hadn't found this airship and the map. His companions would be expecting him to know the way, even if they wouldn't say so aloud, and he would be just as lost as the rest of them. Assuming they even survived to this point in the journey, it would have taken them much longer to get here by land.

"Golbez," he called, turning his head. Golbez's eyes shifted his direction. "Have you ever been leader?" he asked. He and his allies had set out to rescue Golbez, but Cloud suddenly realized how very little he knew about him. Most of what he knew came second-hand from Terra and Cecil, but that wasn't much. Come to think of it, Cloud was fairly sure he had never spoken to Golbez himself at all.

"A complicated question. I was once the commander of an airship armada, though my thoughts were not my own so I doubt that is quite what you had in mind. Otherwise no. I am not a leader, nor have I ever aspired to be. I am unfitting."

"So am I. But I'm leader now, right?" Cloud muttered, walking closer. "Going to have to figure it out on my own. Not looking forward to snapping out orders though."

"Then it is fortunate for your sake that your comrades do not need a leader to give orders. They have each lead their own bands, and are perfectly competent and capable relying on their own judgment. I doubt the burden of leadership is one that will weigh heavily for you."

"Doesn't help. Some will say it aloud, some won't, but if something comes up, something we can't handle or we don't know what to do, they'll be looking to me for an answer, and I probably won't have one. And I know they'll come a time when one of them knows what to do and I don't, and I'll have to defer to them. It makes no sense to me."

"Indeed," Golbez nodded, Cloud stopping at the stairs leading up to the controls. "What right is it of yours to lead when each of them is just as qualified, perhaps more in some cases?"

"Exactly…why did Hikari pick me anyway?" Cloud turned his head to look over the side of the airship again. "I'm not the strongest, I'm not the bravest, and I'm not the smartest. He had nine people to choose from, what made me so special?"

"Who would you have chosen in his place?"

"Cecil maybe, or Squall, they're both level headed and reasonable, and they have experienced leading. If we want power in a leader even there's Terra, she's one of the strongest mages I've ever seen."

"How ironic that the three, save for Terra, volunteered for the position before Hikari announced his choice. But it is not your choice to make, it is his, and he made it to the best of his knowledge," Golbez said. "In my experience, being leader is not difficult. Think your actions through, consider all alternatives, and keep the abilities and personalities of your teammates in mind. Do this and you'll make a fine leader."

"My head doesn't get me much anywhere. Not to be romantic, but it's usually when I ignore what my head thinks and listen to my heart that I seem to succeed," Cloud replied. "I only broke Sephiroth's illusions about me by listening to what I believed instead of what I thought. He's good at weaving illusions, not just in your head but in the real world too. He's very sneaky and tricky when he has to be, ignoring what I saw and putting my faith is what my heart said is what's gotten me this far in spite of that."

"That works just fine as well, head and heart both have their pros and cons when it comes to trusting their judgment. The key is to know when one takes priority over the other. When fantasy blurs with reality, when the dream transcends the mind and bleeds into the world around you, that is when one must trust their heart over their head, for the latter has become unreliable," Golbez recited. There was a sound, and the two looked over to the stairs to see Terra there.

"I woke up and thought I heard talking," she whispered. "Is everything alright?" Golbez glanced at Cloud and stepped back from the wheel, shrugging his shoulders to make the edges of his cape fall over his arms.

"I shall retire for the evening, suddenly fatigue is setting in. Cloud, I leave the airship in your hands for now," he said, walking to the stairs. Cloud watched him go, though the act was very unconvincing. Terra came closer to Cloud as he took Golbez's place.

"What's wrong?" she asked, concerned.

"Just have a lot of my mind," Cloud shrugged. Terra held back an exhausted sigh. There had been a time where they had told each other almost everything, or at least she had. She'd divulged some of her deepest secrets to him, and now in spite of that he still held back. Terra was no fool, she knew it had to do with his new position as the Champion of Light, but to shut her down immediately like he just had meant Cloud didn't want to discuss it. That was fine, she decided, he didn't need to. She'd discuss it for him.

"You'll be a fine Champion, Hikari chose well," she said, walking up the stairs to stand beside him. Cloud showed no visible response. "He said he had made his choice when we first met at Order's Sanctuary. He picked you, out of all of us, as the one worthy to be the new Champion. Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

"That he was an idiot?" Cloud shrugged. Terra narrowed her eyes and lightly slapped him on the cheek.

"I'll do it harder, if that's what it takes," she warned. "I remember every story you've told me, you've been leader before. You're a hero the same as all of us, you lead your friends to victory over Sephiroth, remember?"

"And almost them killed a dozen times each leading them nowhere while Sephiroth strung me along," Cloud said bitterly. "I'm no leader Terra, and not much of a hero either." Cloud lifted an arm to shield himself, but Terra's hands remained clasped over her waist.

"I've not forgotten. But there's something different this time." She lifted a hand to gently tap a finger on the side of Cloud's head. "You're free of him this time. The manipulations, the dreams, the illusions, they're gone forever. He can't control you anymore. And even when he could before, you overcame him time and again. That's why I have faith in you, because you're stronger than him. And a lot stronger than you believe." Cloud smiled and shook his head.

"Wish I had the confidence you did," he said. "You sure Hikari didn't mean to pick you?" Terra blinked, confused, then nodded after a moment.

"Yes," she said evenly. "If it helps, keep in mind you won't be leading them for long. We'll be at the Chaos Shrine in days, sooner if not for your detour."

"I know. Trust me, I need to take it," Cloud shrugged. "Something important there I have to pick up."

"Like what?" Terra asked. "Where is it even that we're going?"

"Home. My home, anyway," Cloud answered. "I told you about Edge, right?" Terra nodded. "I need to get something there. Besides, just in case we lose, I want to see it once more with my own eyes. Remind myself why we're fighting."

"Right," Terra nodded. "If it'll get you to stop moping, then I say a visit home is just what you need."

"I do not-" Cloud looked at her and noticed a small smile on her lips, and stopped as she realized she had been teasing. "I'd say we could visit your home as well, but I doubt we have time, even if it's close," he said instead. Terra slowly sat down, a strange look on her face.

"Yes…home…" she whispered. "We'll be going home soon, won't we?" Cloud watched her, unsure why her attitude had suddenly changed. He remembered back after they defeated Gabranth, she had mentioned she didn't have anyone at home waiting for her. Or at least, not many people, the exact words of their conversation eluded him. Was she worried about going back to her world?

_"Tomorrow…after we visit Edge…I'll tell him then, when we have a moment alone," _Terra thought to herself. One final secret to reveal to him, before they fought their last battle together. Well, two, if she could muster the strength to tell him Hikari's secret to her as well. That could be glossed over, kept hidden if she desired. But the other…if she was going to go through with her plan when it was all over, he had to know. She may even need his help to see it through, but she had made up her mind. She simply hoped he understood her decision when the time came.

_"Going home…Cloud…"_


	35. Light To All

Shards of Memory

**As an FYI, the story now has a page on TV Tropes, feel free to head over there and edit it – after reading this chapter, of course. **

Chapter 35

Light To All

**_"That's the thing with magic. You've got to know it's still here, all around us, or it just stays invisible for you."_ – Charles de Lint**

* * *

"We're getting close," Cloud said aloud, staring out the window at the landscape below the airship. "Those are the Midgar wastelands down there. Edge was built just outside Midgar itself so it should be coming into view soon."

"Right," Terra nodded, looking over a scroll from the bookcase in the room. Some of it was in the common tongue, and it was quite fascinating reading, going in-depth on the workings of the airship and how it was powered by ancient magics. Not for the first time she wondered how other worlds had developed workings so similarly to the Magitek forces the Gestahlian Empire had created. As she had come to learn over the course of her life since escaping them, magic was certainly not the malevolent force she had initially believed. She wondered momentarily what her world may have been like if someone more benevolent like Edgar and Figaro had rediscovered magic and not Gestahl. Would they have developed airships similar to this one? Or even the opposite - did whatever world this airship came from have machines she would recognize as Magitek?

_"Or Cloud's world. He said they use Mako to generate electricity, but Mako is also used to form Materia to be used to cast magic. That sounds very similar to Magitek…" _Terra was suddenly pulled from her thoughts by an unfamiliar tingling of energy nearby. She focused on her senses to find the source, and turned her head. Still staring out the window, Cloud didn't notice as she watched him. The energy spike had come from him. She lowered her eyes from his face and saw his hand clenching and opening at empty air. She thought back to what Hikari had told her, that the light within Cloud would manifest new powers for him. Could that be what she was sensing? Was Cloud aware of what was happening?

"Isn't Midgar the city you said we met at?" she asked instead. Cloud nodded. "I guess we've come full circle then, haven't we?"

"I suppose we have, yeah," he agreed.

"To think we traveled around the world looking for our Crystals, and now we come back on the way to the Chaos Shrine…almost makes the journey seem a waste."

"No," Cloud shook his head and turned to her. "With all the worlds shifting around it's unlikely that Midgar is in the same place it was when we met. We haven't seen any other landmarks have we? Besides, for all we know it could be a different Midgar. The Midgar we met at was the city as it was during completion, but the city we built Edge near was a ruin. It's possible there's two Midgars from different time periods here."

"I suppose that's true. Every other law of nature has been perverted so far, why not time while we're at it?" Terra joked weakly. She remembered when she had first seen Midgar, how it reminded her of Vector. If what Cloud had said was true, then perhaps in spite of Kefka's Tower still standing Vector too existed somewhere in the world. She was grateful her travels hadn't taken her there if it did indeed exist. "I suppose it's fate then that this version of the town with your home is here then," she shrugged. "If fate is real, that is."

"So you don't believe in fate?" Cloud asked.

"I already had this talk with Golbez and Jecht. Not really, no. Things happen because we will them to happen. It wasn't my fate to defeat Kefka and claim my Crystal. It happened because I made it happen, because I learned to control my powers and I fought him and won. The path to the future isn't forged by chance or higher guidance. It's forged by the will of the person who walks that path, by their struggles and choices. 'Fate' is just an excuse used by people who think they aren't able to do that on their own. It makes things easier for them to blame their fortunes, for better or worse, on a force other than themselves." Terra watched Cloud's face during her small speech, noticing his expression didn't change once. She had perhaps been a bit harsh in directly speaking on his struggles, but it needed to be said.

"Like me," Cloud mused. "Either Sephiroth's or fate's, I'm still following the whims of others." Terra made a face. Obviously she'd been too subtle.

"No. You're the same as me, you got here on your own strength," she insisted, coming closer. "I don't know what it's going to take to make you understand this, but you're just as much a hero as the rest of us Cloud, no matter your past. You've taken Sephiroth down how many times?"

"And he's come back every time, and took me down once," he reminded.

"And then you came back too, right?"

"Yeah. Doesn't matter now though, it's done with and in the past. Neither of us is coming back this time. You know we'll see him again before we make it to Chaos."

"I'm hoping for it. Because next time we're going to face him together, and we're going to kill him. And he's going to stay that way. If slaying the physical demon will destroy the metaphorical ones in your head, then that's what we'll do."

"Sounds good." Cloud meant it - Terra's words were inspiring to a point. He wanted to believe her, believe he could end it at last. Sephiroth's shadow had been looming over him for the better part of a decade, if he counted his time as Hojo's experiment. To shatter that shadow and be rid of Sephiroth once and for all…Cloud didn't want to dare hope it possible for fear of jinxing it, but in spite of himself he did. A life free of Sephiroth…even now his heart felt lighter, it may have just been his imagination but the so-called "purifying" of the cells in his body had eased his thoughts. He knew it was probably due more to Hikari's power than the removal of Sephiroth's influence, but he felt stronger, more clear-headed. The dark voice he had been hearing, whispering taunts to him, hadn't been heard from since his revival.

_"Maybe it was Sephiroth then, messing with my mind even when he was dead…figures of him. Well, no more," _he thought._ "I'm not his puppet anymore, and when we find him, I'm gonna prove it." _There was a knock at the door, and the two turned to see Firion there.

"I believe we're nearing your intended destination. A few have been asking for you on the deck," he said. Firion nodded and followed him down the hall, Terra behind them. As they emerged on the main deck, Cloud noticed Cecil was piloting the airship now, and neither Golbez nor Jecht was in sight. In fact, it seemed several members of their band were still below decks. Aside from Firion and Cecil, Squall, Zidane and Onion Knight were the only ones here.

"Where is everyone?" he asked.

"Resting, keeping to themselves," Firion shrugged. "A few are displeased with your decision to delay our final battle for an unknown reason."

"Would this happen to be the same 'few' who wanted me up here?" Cloud asked. Thinking his decision over he realized he _should_ have explained to them his reason for coming here, but there was nothing to do for it now. They'd understand soon.

"Not all of them, no," Firion said sheepishly, looking away.

"We're wasting time," Squall muttered, coming closer. Cloud turned his eyes his way. "Whatever you're picking up here had better be worth the side trip."

"It is," Cloud nodded, turning away from him and walking to the edge of the deck. He leaned over the side of the airship and saw the town approaching in front of them. "Yeah, this is it. Set her down Cecil," he called. The airship slowed to a halt, and began to descend. Cloud walked to the rope ladder laying in a folded pile on the deck and threw it over the side.

"I won't be long, I can be down there and back in a few minutes, ten tops," he said, waiting for the airship to finish its descent.

"What if there's Crystelle?" Onion Knight asked. Cloud thought a moment and turned to the group.

"Good point. Right then, Zidane, you and Terra can come with if you want."

"Sounds good," Zidane grinned. "I wouldn't mind taking a peek around. This place must be interesting, that you came here specifically." Terra simply nodded, and Cloud turned back to the rope ladder. The airship had descended enough so it wasn't too far off the ground, and he swung a foot over the balcony and began climbing down. Zidane followed not long after. As he climbed Cloud turned his head to see Terra slowly floating down beside him. She glanced at him and smiled softly as she passed.

"Quit showing off," he grumbled under his breath. He heard a small chuckle from below and snorted. He reached the bottom and jumped down the last few rungs, landing in a crouch.

"What took you so long?" Terra asked sweetly, hands clasped over her waist. Cloud rolled his eyes and looked up to see Zidane coming near, stepping back to give him room.

"So where to?" Zidane said. Cloud looked around the city stretching before him and tried to figure out where they had sat down. He looked at the street sign and got his bearings, walking into the city and waving his companions forward. The trio walked through the city, Cloud once again noting that another place that should have been bustling with life was too silent. While it hadn't been his main reason for coming here, a part of him still longed to see his home once more. He was facing the very real, if pessimistic, idea that in a matter of days all existence as he knew it would be destroyed along with whatever remnants of his friends were lurking out there somewhere. He wanted a reminder of why he was fighting, what he had to look forward to after it was done.

_"I wonder if Terra would want to see her home," _he thought suddenly. He had mentioned the possibility of finding Mobliz the previous night, but she had reacted peculiarly to the idea. Was she hesitant to see her home, perhaps for the same reason he wasn't as happy as he thought he'd be to see his? Even if she wanted to go to Mobliz, the odds were that it was far out of their way. He had only adjusted their travel course to come to Edge to get what he came for because it was important, and it was a very small side trip that wouldn't delay them too greatly. He hadn't thought to ask the map, if that was the appropriate description, where Terra's home was. He made a note to bring it up later.

"Gotta say, nothing personal but I don't much like your world," Zidane called from behind him. "Looks kinda…well, dead. Way to mechanized."

"It's Shinra. This city was built on the outskirts of their center of power. They drained the life from the soil to generate electricity years ago," Cloud replied. "The rest of the planet is very different."

"Yes, we've seen some of the other places in his world. They're nice, quiet villages," Terra agreed.

"Ah, that's good. I like the quiet life, never cared much for the high and fancy. Then again can't be _too_ quiet, need a bit of excitement now and then. A boring life isn't life at all." Zidane shrugged and lifted his hands to the back of his head as they walked.

"Is that why you operate as a thief?" Terra asked. Cloud tuned the two out, his eyes scanning the streets until they came to an intersection, occasionally flitting up to the street signs to find his way. He was keeping an eye out for enemies, but also trying to keep his mind on the task before him. He wanted to get his concerns and hesitations dealt with and out of the way, before they arrived at the Chaos Shrine and they cost him his life. There was that, and the odd sensation in his hands. It had been there when he had woken up that morning, a dull burning, almost like an itch, but it wasn't uncomfortable. He felt on-edge, anxious. Every other time he had visited some place from his home world – with the exception of his meeting with Terra – something catastrophic happened. He was both waiting and dreading to see if history would repeat itself.

"This way," he said aloud, lifting an arm to point them down the left street. They were close, and the dark feeling in Cloud's stomach deepened. There was something out there, he just didn't know what it was. It wasn't 'knowing' in the paranoid, cautious sense. He could actually _feel_ himself being watched. He thought back to the Phantom Train, a night that seemed years ago, and the sensation of being watched then that had been proven correct. Was there someone here then observing? Crystelle, Sephiroth? Maybe another roaming spirit like Gabranth and Shantotto, which left the question of if it was friend or foe he sensed. Cloud turned his attention back to the street and stopped. He recognized these buildings in particular. He looked around and felt relieved, happy and fearful to see the place he was looking for.

"There," he said, pointing. Terra and Zidane ceased their conversation and looked where he pointed. Terra wasn't familiar with cities of this architecture, so to her he seemed to indicate just another row of windows in a long line of steel buildings. Zidane looked at it, then looked at the sign hanging on the building overhead. A large black '7' was on the center of a circular red and gold logo.

"What's this place?" he asked.

"My home," Cloud replied, walking towards it. He pushed open the door as he neared, and stopped as he stepped inside. A sudden wave of nostalgia washed over him as he surveyed the bar. It was all just as he remembered, like he had never left. The bar stools all perfectly lined up before the counter, the chairs all tucked into the tables. If the overhead fans had been spinning and the lights on he'd have believed he had actually stepped back to his world. He shouldn't have been surprised, after all Midgar had been restored. But this, he had seen it destroyed with his own eyes, he'd been there as the city came crumbling down around him. That day…

* * *

_"Reeve wants you an' me to head an expedition down to Nibelheim. Thinks there may still be a few isolated pockets o' Geostigma in the mountain."_

_ "Why's he need us, Nibelheim is owned by Shinra, tell Rufus to send the Turks if he cares about his employees," Cloud shrugged, not looking up from Fenrir. Behind him leaning on the workbench, Barret rolled his eyes._

_ "See, dat's the problem, Rufus doesn't care. Nibelheim was just a cover job they did a decade ago, now it's just another entry on the monthly bill. Why you think Reeve asked us?" Cloud set down the wrench he was using and looked over his shoulder at Barret._

_ "What's it pay?" he asked._

_ "The usual – crap," Barret replied. Cloud nodded, having suspected as much, and stood up. He grabbed a rag from Fenrir's handlebars and wiped some grease off his hands._

_ "Tell him I'll think about it, I've got an order to run down to Mideel, might take a day or tw-" Cloud was cut off by a loud crash from outside, and the two men looked at the closed garage door. Cloud ran to the door opener and slammed his hand on the button. The door creaked up to reveal the outside street, and Cloud and Barret watched at the swarm of colored crystalline creatures emerging from portals in the pavement. The crash they had heard had been from a car slamming into a building. Flames spewed from the hood, the driver slumped against the wheel._

_ "What the 'ell are those?" Barret cried._

_ "Don't know, let's worry about it later," Cloud replied, reaching for the case he had hung beside the workbench. He pulled it open, grabbing one of several large swords hanging there, and looked out at the street. "They're attacking en masse, can you get to Reeve, ask him to get the W.R.O. here? We're gonna need manpower."_

_ "Consider it done," Barret grunted, running into the street as his mechanical hand whirled and shifted into its gun form. Cloud ran through the door into the rest of the building and almost barreled over Tifa coming down the hall._

_ "What's going on?" she cried._

_ "Some…thing is attacking the city," Cloud replied. He turned to the stairs. "Denzel, Marlene, stay hidden and don't make a sound!" After hearing an affirmative call back down, Cloud turned back to Tifa. "There's a lot of them, up for a brawl?"_

_ "Always," Tifa nodded, reaching into her pocket for her gloves. Cloud pushed open the door to the street, and narrowly lifted his sword in time to block one of the colored monsters swinging a deformed sword at him. He knocked it aside and stepped onto the street._

_ "What are they?" Tifa asked, coming out behind him._

_ "No idea," Cloud said through clenched teeth. There were even more of them than before, he saw some of them on the rooftops and moving over the steel girders running along the street. "Barret's off to find Reeve and get the W.R.O. here."_

_ "If they're not already on their way, with a force this size they've probably already noticed," Tifa pointed out._

_ "Right," Cloud agreed. He thought quickly, eyes darting over the scene. He could just leap into the fray swinging, but was that really his first priority, to start cutting down their numbers with no idea what was happening? He had to find out what these things were, so he knew how to kill them and what to expect from them. No, that wasn't right, he had to find where they were appearing and how to stop them at the source. Either way he'd need allies to help him, perhaps he should have gone with Barret, or look for Rufus and the Turks…_

_ "Cloud get down!" Tifa tackled him to the ground, swinging her leg up to kick one the attackers away. Cloud growled under his breath, realizing in his train of thought he had stopped paying attention. No time to think, had to act. He saw the fallen creature shatter like glass from Tifa's kick as it hit the wall of a building. Good, they could be destroyed. That was something. It also meant that they were easy to dispatch, so their strength was in pure numbers and surprise. It also meant they were expendable._

_ "See if you can find who's leading them, controlling them, whatever," he said, getting to his feet. "They can't be the main force if they're throwing themselves around like that."_

_ "Right," Tifa nodded. "What about you?"_

_ "I'm gonna try and fight them, at least thin them down a bit. Should give me a chance to learn how they fight so we can oppose them when we have more allies. I think-" The ground underfoot shook, and the two stumbled, Tifa falling backwards. Cloud looked down to see a fissure open up in the street, the earth groaning. He looked back up to see two of the creatures approaching him, and swung his sword forward. Then, the crashed car, forgotten on the other side of the street, exploded. Cloud cried out as the blast momentarily deafened him, turning his head away. Incapacitated, he didn't notice the girder spanning the street had come loose with one of its supports partly destroyed and collapsing. A shadow fell over him, and Cloud looked up, lifting his sword over his head to shield himself as the heavy steel knocked him to the ground._

* * *

"Cloud?"

The blond turned to Terra as she called his name. He looked at her blankly for a moment, then remembered where he was. He pushed aside the thoughts of that day and put his mind back on why he had come home.

"I'll be down in a minute, wait here," he said, moving to the stairs. Terra and Zidane nodded, and Cloud headed up the stairs, taking them one at a time. He stopped at the top of them and looked down the hall. He thought for a moment about peaking into the other rooms, but decided against it. He didn't want to see Denzel's room empty and deserted, or for that matter anyone else's including his own. But there was nothing for the latter. Cloud walked down the hallway and stilled as he put a hand on the handle of the door to his room. He turned and clicked it up, lifting his other hand to give it a gentle push.

The door swung all the way open with that simple motion, leaving Cloud to look over the room he hadn't seen for months. It was surprisingly clean for having been abandoned so long, not a speck of dust anywhere in sight. His desk was partway between cluttered with papers and books strewn it, and being neatly organized with others stacked on their ends. It looked just as he had left it. Cloud walked over and picked up the first paper to catch his eye. An hastily scribbled note for a delivery of Seventh Heaven's famous liquor to Mideel. The same order he'd gotten that morning before…

_"Not the time," _he whispered in his head. Setting the form down gently, Cloud moved to the closet and slid open the door. It folded up along its track in the ground and lay flat against the wall. Cloud wasn't sure if he was surprised or not to see it still hanging there. Deciding he didn't care to figure it out, he reached in.

* * *

"Wonder if there's any food back here," Zidane mused, rifling through the shelves behind the counter. Sitting at the table waiting patiently, Terra watched him, mildly amused by the sight of the tip of his tail bobbing back and forth as he looked around, accompanied by him mumbling under his breath. With a cry of triumph he stood up holding a glass bottle.

"We got booze!" the thief said with a grin. "You drink?" Terra shook her head, and Zidane shrugged and set the bottle back on the counter. "There's about a dozen or so here…let's see…" Terra stood and moved closer as he continued to look. "Most of the food, or at least what I think used to be food, is spoiled, but hey, it's something. Some canned stuff it looks like, should still be fresh."

"Is this even drinkable?" she asked. She wasn't familiar with the storage of preservation of alcohol, and after the months being left alone she had no idea what the state of it would be like. Zidane stood back up and popped the lid off the bottle, sniffing it. Lifting it to his lips he took a quick drink and grimaced, setting it back down.

"Warm, but otherwise it tastes okay," he shrugged. There were footsteps, and the two turned back to the stairs. Cloud stepped into view, adjusting his gloves. A long black sash covered his left leg, and as far as Terra could tell he'd changed his pants for black color as opposed to the dark purple he had worn up until then. A sleeveless black sweater was zipped up to his neck. Lowering his hands, Cloud noticed them watching and turned towards them, revealing a large silver badge in the shape of a wolf's head on his breast, pinning together a strap holding his pauldron over his shoulder.

"What?" he asked.

"Nice threads," Zidane smirked, looking them over. "So we ready?"

"Almost," Cloud nodded. He pushed open another door and headed through. Terra and Zidane followed him into a larger room. A row of benches lay against the far all, various tools and smaller machines Terra didn't recognize hanging from the wall. She only noticed them out of the corner of her eye though – her attention was drawn to the large black, wheeled device in the center of the room.

"What's that?" she whispered, approaching it. Cloud was on the other side of the machine, resting a hand on its front.

"Say hi to Fenrir," he replied. "He's my motorcycle."

"Motorcycle?" Terra asked.

"Ah, right," Cloud thought for a moment. As far as he knew Terra's world didn't have automobiles or any form of motorized transportation save for the Empire's machines and the small rail systems in the east. "It's a bit hard to explain if you haven't ridden one. It's a type of transportation, like an airship or a train. Mostly for one person, though Fenrir's built for two."

"I see," Terra said, looking over Fenrir. Cloud looked around and found the item he was looking for, piled on a bench in the corner. He walked over and picked it up, untangling the straps. Behind him Zidane joined Terra in examining the motorcycle.

"So what else do we need besides the change of wardrobe?" he asked. Cloud slipped his hands into the holes in the straps and hefted the leather harness onto his back, tightening the buckles over his shoulders and waist.

"You'll see in a minute," he replied. Terra looked down at Fenrir's handlebars and noticed a small piece of metal dangling from the right side. She traced a finger over it and gripped it, turning it forward. A loud roar erupted from the back of the machine, and she jumped backwards as it began to vibrate. Zidane did likewise, falling on his rear. Cloud looked over his shoulder, and Terra shot him a look, her eyes wide.

"I'm sorry," she said timidly. "What did I do?" Cloud couldn't help the smirk that leapt onto his face and calmly walked over to her, pulling Zidane to his feet on the way.

"You turned it on," he replied. He reached down and turned the key back, the engine dying. Removing the key, he walked past Terra, still smiling. She regained her bearings and pressed a hand to her chest to calm her heart.

"Is it usually that noisy?" Zidane asked.

"Yup," Cloud nodded, finding another key on the key ring. "That's part of the fun." Approaching a case hanging on the wall, he unlocked the latch and pulled one of the doors open. "Here, this is what I really came for," he said, reaching into the case. Terra and Zidane came closer as Cloud pulled out a large broadsword. The blade bore a wide guard and a segmented blade, tempered to a two-pointed tip. Cloud hesitated as he held it, looking down at it curiously. The tingling in his hand was stronger for some reason, and the blade almost seemed to glow…

"Nice sword," Zidane nodded. "But hey, don't lose this one, right?" Cloud nodded, ignoring the feeling in his palm, and slid the sword into one of the holsters on his back.

"Won't be a problem," he replied, swinging the other door of the case open to allow them a look. Five more swords of various designs and lengths hung there, held in place in dark foam by clips. Cloud reached for one of them and slid it into the holster as well. "I'll be bringing extras."

* * *

Terra blinked open her eyes, lifting her head from her pillow. It was night, as far as she could tell from the stars out the window. The three of them had returned to the airship after the visit to Cloud's home, the new outfit and small arsenal of swords on his back speaking for themselves on the reason for the side trip. Cloud had then returned her cloak to her with thanks, and Cecil had taken the airship back on-course to the Chaos Shrine. Terra had spent a bit of time examining Cloud's swords, but was otherwise silent since Bartz and Tidus were asking him enough questions about his new equipment for the rest of them. Cloud had demonstrated that the swords were a six-piece set, connecting them into one larger sword. Terra noted that the completed assembly resembled the Buster Sword she had become so used to seeing Cloud wield. She wondered if that was a deliberate design Cloud had done himself, or if it was merely coincidence. She had ultimately forgotten to ask before he retired for the evening with the rest of their band.

She and Zidane had also brought back a few of the canned food items and the bottles of beer he had found, along with a handful of other, non-alcoholic drinks, and with a few low-charge Fire and Blizzard spells to cook and chill the items a half-decent meal was prepared. It was one of the first things Terra could compare to an actual dinner that she had enjoyed in a long time. The entire group, eleven of them, had clustered around a row of barrels gathered from around the deck to eat together. She had kept silent during the meal, watching the rest of her comrades interact. Jecht had picked a seat next to Tidus and spent most of the time either ruffling his hair or throwing an arm over his shoulder. Tidus usually snapped or otherwise said something rude when he did so, but she had noticed his face didn't match the anger in the words. Golbez and Cecil had been entirely opposite, sitting across from each other and not exchanging a word. Terra wondered what the two thought of their situation, and thought perhaps there was tension there until Golbez had quietly spoken to Cecil about the performance of the airship. A small, if ultimately meaninglessly, conversation had begun, and Terra decided it was simply how they got along.

Now lying in bed wondering why she was awake, Terra put her head back down, staring up at the ceiling in thought. Suddenly, there was a small jolt to her senses, and she sat up. A source of magic was nearby, new and foreign, yet somehow familiar. Swinging her feet over the edge of the bed and grabbing her cloak from the table, she clipped it around her neck and slipped on her boots. Leaving her room she felt another spike of the same magical energy, and slowly and carefully stepped down the hall and up the stairs to the deck of the airship.

As she came up she saw Cloud standing at the bow of the ship, his back to her. His new clothes were blown out to the side but he was holding still. Not sure what was going on, Terra stopped on the second-to-last step and waited to see what he was doing.

"Terra, you can come here," he said at last. Terra didn't move, and eventually Cloud turned. "Come on," he said, jerking his head forward. "You'd probably want to see this anyway." Terra nodded and walked up to him.

"I was trying to be quiet, I didn't want to bother you until I knew what you were doing," she explained.

"You were perfectly quiet, you didn't make a sound," Cloud nodded. Terra gave him a confused look, and Cloud lowered his eyes. She followed his look to his hand, clenching at the air. "I…I felt you," he whispered. "Terra, this feeling…I've never experienced anything like it before…" Cloud turned his head to look over the railing of the airship. "Everyone, you, all of them, lit up…its amazing. How could…it's like I've been blinded until now…"

"What are you talking about?" Terra asked, confused but having a suspicion. Cloud wasn't making a lot of sense, but perhaps what he was trying to explain went beyond words…

"The magic, I can feel it. The air itself, our friends, the airship, the Crystals…it's all humming with energy," Cloud said. "I thought I had felt it off and on earlier today, I thought maybe I was being watched in the city, but it didn't stop when we left so I knew it was something else. Then tonight, it went up suddenly, a spike, and it hasn't gone away since."

"Hikari's power," Terra realized.

"I think so," Cloud nodded. "Everyone connected by pure energy…this sixth sense…is this what it's like for you?" he turned as she stepped up beside him, and Terra nodded.

"It surprised me too, when I first felt it," she said. "It began when I transformed for the first time, after that I could sense magic in everything. It takes getting used to though."

"I didn't say it was a bad feeling."

"No, it isn't." Terra thought for a moment. "When I woke up, I felt a few surges of magic. What were you doing?" Cloud smiled and lifted a hand to his chest.

"This." Cloud made a fist and closed his eyes. A bright golden aura lit up over his hand, and he snapped his arm forward. A blast of ice shards erupted from his palm, spraying out into the air in all directions, then shattering into frost and dispersing. Terra watched, amazed as she realized what he had done.

"Magic…then it's true," she whispered. Cloud growled slightly and made a face. "What's wrong?"

"I was trying to cast Fire," he grumbled, turning his eyes away. "The second one it was Fire, first one it was Thunder. Seems it's just those basic three for some reason, good thing though, if I can't even get these few right…"

"_He doesn't know how to control it," _Terra realized. Cloud had always relied on Materia to cast magic before, he had never had any innate spellcasting abilities. She remembered when she had traveled with her friends through the Esper caves, Locke and Edgar had been to Vector and had already become accustomed to Magicite, but Cyan and the new addition to their band, Mog, struggled to manifest their spells at first. Cloud was having the same problem, the power was there but he didn't know how to focus it into a specific spell.

"You were practicing," she said aloud.

"Yeah. Sorry for waking you," Cloud shrugged.

"Don't be. Now I can help you," Terra replied. She reached out and placed her hand over his. "It's not just a matter of calling up the power, you have to tell it what to do," she instructed. "When I unlocked my true potential I had trouble sometimes too, but it's easy enough to learn. Try again, this time don't just call the power to manifest itself, picture in your mind the way you want it to manifest, and tell it to do that. It's the same way I control my powers, I don't know the exact nature of yours but I imagine magic should be universal this way."

"I'm not going to shed my clothes and start flying around in the nude if this screws up, am I?" Cloud asked, only half-joking. He was new to this sort of power, he didn't know what to expect. The only person comparable to Terra in terms of ability that he had known at length was Aerith, and she hadn't gone in great detail on how she willed her Cetra abilities to work.

"Let's hope not," Terra said with a small smile. Cloud gave her a small glare, but she ignored it. Rolling his eyes, he extracted his hand from hers and focused. The aura of light lit up over his hand, and he listened to Terra's advice as he searched inside himself for the nexus of magical energy that even now was growing and becoming more vibrant.

A few moments later, a bright orange orb of fire launched over the edge of the airship, briefly lighting up the night sky in a shower of sparks.


	36. Final Night

Shards of Memory

Chapter 36

Final Night

**_"O give us one more day of sun and leaves, The laughing soldiers and the laughing stream, And when at dawn the loud destruction cleaves This silence, and, like men that move in dream, (Knowing the awaited trial has begun) We climb the trench, and cross the wire, and start, We'll stumble through the shell-bursts with good heart, Like boys who race through meadows in the sun."_ – Martin Armstrong, Before Battle**

* * *

"This is it," Cloud whispered. They were clustered around the map, furled out to its full width on a series of barrels. The airship was unmanned for the moment, all in attendance for the sight before them. The slow, steady blinking of the white dot that represented the Chaos Shrine was close. Cloud had ordered the map to show him the remaining journey, and it had resized itself so small that he could make out individual land features like hills and meadows.

"At this speed, we'll be there tomorrow. Possibly the early morning if we catch a good wind," Cecil nodded. Cloud didn't show a visible response.

"Think we'll encounter any troubles on the way?" Firion asked. "They have to know we're coming."

"Doubtful, with Mateus six feet under whatever plans they were banking on have blown up in their faces," Jecht shrugged. "If I were them I'd just be waiting to see how it plays out."

"If they wanted to attack us, they would have done so already," Golbez said. "They have had many chances to ambush us and taken none of them."

"Let them come if they want, we're almost there anyway. At this point an extra day won't give either side any more advantage than it already has," Squall said.

"So then what do we do now?" Zidane asked. Slowly, eleven pairs of eyes turned to Cloud. He knew they were watching without looking up from the map to see them for himself. He had his own thoughts to sort out before he put theirs at ease.

_"When we get there, Sephiroth will be waiting again. Does he know I'm alive?" _he wondered silently. The slight pulse in his hands distracted him, and he closed his fist to repress the rising power he was still learning to control. He wanted to learn it too, which was why he planned to spend every second he could getting a grip on his new abilities. Because he wanted to put them to work when it came time. Cloud knew that once he got to the Chaos Shrine, or perhaps before, he and Sephiroth would inevitably clash again. With the newfound knowledge that the thread he clung to in order to stay alive was cut, he planned to slay his archenemy for the final time. Cloud remembered the new powers Sephiroth had demonstrated, remembered that his angelic transformation was restored and with it the powers he had used years ago in the Northern Crater. He didn't care though. Cloud was stronger now, too, and he looked forward to demonstrating his new skills.

"There's nothing more to do. We're well fed after yesterday, we have a bit more food for later today but otherwise, it's just a matter of time," he said aloud. He lifted his head to look among his teammates. "Until then, we wait, and we rest." Cloud thought for a moment. "I know I don't need to tell you this, but tomorrow will be a battle dwarfing anything else we've seen up until now. We're not just fighting for our worlds, we're fighting for existence itself. There's billions, maybe trillions of people across those worlds relying on us to win." Forcing himself to put on a cocky smirk for the show, Cloud continued, "and they're in luck, because they've got the best team they could ask for to fight on their behalf."

"Now you're talkin'!" Jecht grinned, slamming a fist into his palm. A few other smiles, smirks and general expressions of agreement caught Cloud's eye.

"So let's make sure we're ready. Tomorrow, we're all going to have to fight harder than ever before. Do whatever you need to, as long as you're prepared. I…" Cloud hesitated. "I can't promise you'll all make it out alive. I guess I'm proof of that, and sort of proof against it. But that's the reality of it, we don't know how many of us will survive. I'm no leader, certainly not yours, and I have no right to ask this, but I also have no choice. You may have to die, so the rest of us can win. I don't like it, but it's how things are. So, if it comes down to it…"

"You can save yourself a lot of time right there," Onion Knight cut off. "We know we're gonna be looking death in the eyes, but that's why we're all here."

"He's right. We were chosen as Warriors of Light because of who we are. Heroes, each and every one of us. We were all cut from the same cloth," Cecil said.

"Yeah. Sure we might die tomorrow, but that's nothing new is it? We've all had plenty of chances to get cold feet at the idea and I'll bet none of us has turned back," Tidus chimed.

"The stakes might be a bit higher, but tomorrow will be the same as any other battle. We're going to go in and give it our all, no matter what the unknowns are holding," Squall said lowly.

"They're all right and you know it," Bartz said, slapping a hand on Cloud's shoulder. "I'll bet that's why you're looking so awkward right now, hard to give a speech to us when we know exactly what you're trying to say, right?"

"Uh…"

"It's not the words that matter, it's the reality," Firion said. "We know what we're facing, Cloud. You're not just our leader, you're our comrade, and most importantly you're our friend. You want us by your side, you want to be able to rely on us? You already know you can, just as we know the same about you."

"There's nothing you need to say anymore," Zidane agreed. "It's our last battle together. We're going to go in, and we're going to die trying if that's what it takes to win. It's like Cecil said, we're heroes, Warriors of Light. We got chosen by Cosmos for that exact reason."

"The goddess was aware of the gambit she was executing. In our last meeting before her death, she confided she knew that disrupting the balance as she was could just as easily spell her doom as it could Chaos'," Golbez said solemnly. "Thus, we can take heart in that she knew precisely what she was doing. We are her final legacy, the last warriors she summoned. She waited an eternity for the opportunity to take this chance, and we are the ones on whom she deemed fit to gamble her existence. This is her final act, and she has chosen only the strongest to carry it out."

"And that's just what we're going to do. Because you're all right on every point except one," Terra said, turning to Cloud. "We _do_ know what's going to happen tomorrow. Sooner or later, we're going to confront Chaos. And we're going to destroy him. It's what we've all been called for, ever since we first set out on our journeys, he's been the destination at the end of our paths. And we won't fail."

"…yeah…you're right," Cloud whispered. "You're all right…" Cloud look over them again and noticed one of them looking around uneasily. "Jecht, you have something to say?"

"Nah, everyone else pretty much covered it. Just feelin' a bit left out on the speech-givin' and all," he shrugged. "Never was one for it. But since ya put me on the spot….how about 'let's kick some divine ass'?" A chorus of chuckles and a couple of dismissive snorts came up from the group. Cloud and Terra joined in on the former.

"Sounds good to me," Cloud nodded. "Alright then. Get some rest, and do whatever you have to in order to prepare. Tomorrow, we settle this."

* * *

"Tomorrow we shall bear witness to the final conflict," Garland boomed, his voice filling the chamber. Below, Sephiroth, Ultimecia and Kuja stood before a small, tightly clustered group of Crystelle. "We were called by Lord Chaos to deliver Cosmos her death, and we have succeeded. But victory is not yet ours. We must crush the final remnants of Cosmos' forces beneath our heels, or all our efforts will be for naught."

"Is this supposed to be inspiring?" Kuja asked, looking over at his comrades. "I'm rather bored to be frank. We don't need some iron-clad baboon telling us what's at risk."

"You said it before, you and Chaos," Ultimecia nodded. "Mateus' plans failed. All we can do now is fight, and let fate run its course, for better or worse."

"Yes, true enough…very well then. I leave you to conduct whatever preparations you wish to go about. Though the odds of victory or defeat are unknown, know that Chaos' offers of power and control over the worlds remain for you, if we prevail. Let that be your motivation in the coming clash."

"And when we win, he shall make good of them," Kuja warned. Ultimecia nodded her agreement. Garland nodded back, then vanished as a dark portal opened behind them. The three Warriors of Chaos left shared a glance, then Kuja and Ultimecia lifted into the air to fly away. Sephiroth watched them go, uninterested in whatever tasks they planned to carry out for their final hours.

_ "Fools, still seeking the same ends as always, dancing for Chaos in the name of a false promise," _Sephiroth sneered._ "__The same desires, the same aims…mere puppets who cannot see their own strings…not I. I have grasped the greater picture that they are blind to. Tomorrow, Chaos' reign ends. And mine begins."_

* * *

Firion polished the blade of his lance with careful attention, running the rag along its edge until it gleamed in the light of the two moons through the window. Gently touching a finger to the tip and then the blade to test their sharpness, he nodded in satisfaction and set it down on the bed. He reached to unbuckle the clasp holding his quiver in place, and brought it around to examine it.

_"Only four arrows left," _Firion mused. He had come to this world with two dozen, and had tried to conserve them, even retrieving them after battle when he could. Inevitably though they were damaged or lost or otherwise rendered unusable, and his stock had slowly dwindled. Taking the four from the quiver and tossing it down beside it lance, Firion noted that one of them had a crack at the notched end. In more forgiving circumstances it would be deemed unfit and throw away, but he didn't have that luxury now. The others were still usable, the fletching was a bit sparse and their bindings loose, but they would fly well enough. Firion turned them over in his hand to examine the tips. One had dried blood caked on it from when it had been used to fell an Ahriman they had encountered in a cave. The others, having either not been used or only been used for Crystelle, were clean.

_"I'll make them count," _he vowed. Slotting the arrows back into the quiver, Firion then reached and unclipped the twin daggers strapped to his belt, also unhooking a spool of cord attached to the handle of one of them. Holding the untied dagger up to the light he set to work polishing it, a few specks of dirt flying off the edge of the blade. His other weapons lay on the bed, some already cleaned, others still waiting their turn.

Firion remembered with clear detail how he had come to possess each of the weapons he carried. His stepsister Maria's bow, gifted to him when he went off on his world quest to hunt villainy after the war ended. Ricard's lance, bestowed when the dragoon bid him off on the Wyvern to escape Emperor Mateus when he was reborn. Leila's daggers, a sign that he had defeated her and so was the captain of her ship, the weapons passed down the line of captains for near fifteen years. Minwu's staff and shield, the former enchanted with the power to control Ultima, for which the mage sacrificed himself to grant to Firion. His stepbrother Guy's axe, found in the alley outside the weapons shop deemed unsuitable for combat due to its misshapen handle, and modified with a weight on the end to function as a throwing weapon when Guy refused to throw it away, eventually giving it to Firion when he departed him and Maria. And the Blood Sword, gifted by Paul to aid them in the final battle with Mateus in Pandaemonium.

"_I'm not here alone…they're all with me," _Firion thought, looking over them as he mentally recounted the tales of how he came to possess them. Unbidden memories filled his mind, and he took a slow breath. In his world he had left the land of his home many years after the war with the emperor to pursue injustice and violence in the futile hope of one day eradicating them from the world. It was a long, lonely journey that had made him many enemies and many friends, but he had never once questioned the life he led.

"There is only one path I must follow," he whispered. "Tomorrow is just another stop on it. I'll see it through, with all of you by my side."

* * *

"I don't know how you can sleep with what's happening tomorrow," Bartz said, looking over at Zidane as he paced beside the bed. Lying on his stomach, tail twitching lazily in the air, Zidane rolled his eyes. His head was cushioned on his arms folded up under his chin, cyan eyes staring off into space until Bartz had gotten his attention.

"I'm not sleeping."

"Only because I'm here talking to you."

"That's what I meant," Zidane grumbled, lifting a foot to rub it against an itch on his other leg's ankle. Bartz made a face.

"I'm too antsy to sleep, big day tomorrow. Never can sleep when they're coming," he said, stretching his arms up into the air.

"No, it's not that it's a big day, it's that you're worried about it. That's why you can't sleep. Also why I'm trying to get to sleep, because I ain't worried and we've gonna need to be nice and rested up," Zidane replied.

"How can you not be worried?" Bartz protested. "We're heading into the biggest battle we're ever gonna see, the entire universe is counting on us!"

"Bartz…"

"Not to mention that we're gonna be fighting who-knows-what when we get there, we know about Sephiroth and Kuja for sure and they're stronger than ever."

"Bartz," Zidane said louder, turning his head. Bartz hadn't heard him yet.

"Not to mention that even if we win there's a good chance at least one of us is gonna bite the dust. Then of course we have to face Chaos, are we really supposed to kill a god?"

"Bartz!" Zidane snapped angrily. Bartz took noticed and looked down at him. Zidane gave him a wearied look for a long moment, and then laid his head back down. "Please shut up," he whispered.

"Oh….sorry," Bartz replied, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. The room fell silent again, the only sound either could hear being the distant hum of the airship's engines.

"Hey," Zidane said after a minute.

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry too."

"Don't be," Bartz assured him. After another moment of silence Zidane looked over his shoulder.

"…you ever play Tetra Master?"

"What's that?" Bartz asked, confused. Zidane turned over and reached into his pocket, drawing a small stack of cards.

"Picked them up when we stopped over in Treno a while back, just for a memento of home. Want me to teach you?"

"Is it hard?"

"Not if you're good, and I am," Zidane replied. "Unless you'd rather stand here in silence and we can think about how badly we might get our butts kicked tomorrow by a god."

"When you put it that way, sure, let's play," Bartz smiled. Zidane pulled his legs into a cross-legged position and began to shuffle the cards as Bartz sat down opposite him.

* * *

_"I've been saving these for a good time,"_ Squall thought, looking at the small box in his hand. He had been holding onto it ever since he had come across Balamb Garden with Bartz and Zidane. He'd been tempted to bring more than one, but the box was heavier than its small appearance would suggest and he decided it would be too much of a hassle to carry a second. Opening the lid, Squall set the box on the table beside his bed. Twenty-four small steel bullet casings lay on their ends inside in four rows. Small transparent capsules contained in the tips glowed various colors. Squall had memorized the colors and their associated spells carefully during his training - red for Fire, dark blue for Blizzard, yellow for Thunder and green for Cure, among numerous other. Being that the higher-level magics of his world weren't commonly made accessible to all students, the armory he had visited offered only the most basic spells, and this set had Fire, Blizzard and Thunder.

_"They'll have to do," _Squall decided, picking up a bullet with a red-colored capsule. He reached over and grabbed the Revolver from the bed beside him and angled it against the side of the mattress. He pulled back the catch that held the gun barrel in place and knocked it open to the side with his thumb. Squall carefully and methodically slotted six bullets into the empty chambers, choosing two of each spell. Snapping the barrel back into place with a click, he stood up and lifted the Revolver, testing the subtly different weight of the weapon. He had wielded the Revolver two-handed during training, but as he had grown older and strengthened himself he had forced himself to use it with one hand for better efficiency in combat. His friends and instructors both made jokes that the desire to do so was more a show of his stubbornness than his skill. He didn't say so to their faces, but they weren't entirely wrong. It simply wasn't in his nature to give up.

_"Stubbornness…skill…whatever it takes. It doesn't matter how. Tomorrow…I'm going home…"_

* * *

Cecil climbed the stairs leading up to the deck of the airship slowly and carefully. He was hesitating on purpose for extra time to consider what he was doing, and for a moment considered simply turning and heading back to his room. However, he knew he'd regret it if he did. Coming onto the deck, he turned to the small platform with the controls. Jecht was at the bottom of the steps, and turned and walked towards him. The former Warrior of Chaos didn't say a word as he passed Cecil and headed down the stairs, only turning his eyes Cecil's way for a moment as he came near.

"Did I interrupt something?" Cecil asked, approaching. Golbez looked down at him and shook his head. Not for the first time Cecil was struck by how strong the family resemblance was between the two of them and their uncle Fusoya. Golbez's face was beginning to wrinkle while Cecil's was still youthful, and his eyes showed inner tiredness that Cecil supposed came with the trials he had endured, but otherwise the fact they were brothers was impossible to miss.

"No. Jecht merely came to speak to me, and we had just finished when you arrived," Golbez explained. Cecil nodded and climbed the stairs to stand next to him.

"I wish to speak to you about our homeworld," he said.

"Then speak, and I shall listen," Golbez replied.

"If…_when_ we defeat Chaos tomorrow, do you know what will become of you? Of us?"

"No. I believe the Crystals may yet spirit you all home without Cosmos, but myself, I know not what fate awaits me. Jecht asked very much the same question."

"Very well, I suspected as much. Then, I ask that when the time comes, you accompany me home if you are able."

"Cecil…"

"I will have no arguments on this, brother," Cecil interrupted, his voice firm. "You told me once you would be content to fade back into darkness if that is your fated punishment. I do not accept that. If you will only consider yourself forgiven when you have died then so be it, but it will be many years in the future if I have my say in the matter. I want you to come home with me. My family is yours, and we would see you alive under less pressing circumstances."

"Cecil, you ask me to return to a world I nearly destroyed and face its people. The name of Golbez is synonymous with terror and destruction to them. You would have me face that?"

"No. Golbez is a label Zemus pinned on you when he twisted you to his will. Golbez may be thought of as a ruthless tyrant, but what of Theodore? Golbez wore armor and was a shadowy figure, there are few who know your true face outside our group of comrades, and none outside them who know your true name. Were you to come back, abandoning that forsaken name as you had your armor once before, there would be none who could judge your past. You could be free."

"I cannot free myself from the shadows of my sins that easily, merely taking a different name."

"None of us blame you anymore, brother. Your sins can only burden you if you allow them to. I learned that for myself long ago. If you cannot leave them behind you then yes, perhaps it is for the best you sink into death again, so you will not torment yourself any longer. But if that is truly your desire, to die so you can forget and in turn be forgotten, then you would not be here now." Cecil moved in front of Golbez, forcing his brother to look him in the face. "You know I speak the truth. You're here because you wanted to live again, to be forgiven. And the only person left to forgive you now is yourself."

"Cecil…" Golbez closed his eyes slowly. "Your words are heartening. Naïve, and heartening. But I have long held onto my burdens, to cast them off with such ease now would be impossible. I truly do wish to live again, and it would please me to return to your home world and see my nephew and sister-in-law again, perhaps even live alongside you. Alas that it is not that simple, if one assumes I will even have the option. And so I cannot give you an answer, much less the one you want."

"I don't need an answer now, or at all. But please, do not forget what I have said, and consider my words," Cecil said.

"If that will suffice for now then consider it done," Golbez replied, nodding slowly. "I shall keep them in my heart until the time to face my destiny comes. Thank you, Cecil."

"We are brothers, Theodore. I do turn my back on my comrades or my blood, and you are no exception."

* * *

Onion Knight was balancing his sword on his fingertip, the golden blade wobbling as he moved his hand around to try and keep it steady. He was laying on his back in bed, not fully paying attention to what he was doing. There was a knock at his door and he sat up, his sword falling on the bed beside him.

"Yeah?" he called. The door opened slowly to reveal Terra. "Oh, hi," he said, lifting a hand as a wave.

"I'm just wondering how you're doing," she said, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"I'm a bit hungry, but we're outta that food you brought back the other day so not much to do for that. Otherwise I'm good," he shrugged.

"That's not what I meant. Are you going to be ready for the fight tomorrow?" Terra asked. "I have to admit I'm worried for you. Any one of us could die and I'd hate for it to be you, you're just a kid and have your whole life to live yet."

"I am not just a kid!" Onion Knight said angrily. "I'm just as strong and heroic as any of you guys! Besides, you're not that much older than me anyway."

"I know, and I'm not looking down on you. I'd just hate to think someone so young dying in battle," Terra explained. Onion Knight calmed down and lay back down, folding his hands under his helmet.

"I'll be fine, we traveled together for a long time, you know I'm a lot tougher than I look. I can take care of myself in a fight well enough. You wanna watch my back tomorrow though, I won't say no."

"Agreed," Terra nodded, smiling slightly. "And you're right, we did travel together for a long time, though once you got kidnapped it was even longer that we were apart…what happened to you back then?" Onion Knight made a face.

"The Cloud of Darkness took me to a part of her realm, the World of Darkness. Really scary place, all crystal platforms and dark voids with purple clouds of smoke. I was prepared to give up to be honest, I'd been there before but with my friends, and we had barely made it out alive that time. But I told myself I had to do it this time, or else I'd never be able to go home and see the gang again. It took me a day or two to get a grip and stop being so scared, but I fought my way out and beat the old witch to escape. After that I met up with Tidus and Firion. Tidus already had his Crystal, so once we got Firion's we headed off to Cosmos' throne. We met up with Cecil again on the way."

"I see. I'm glad you weren't alone too long," Terra said. "I'm also glad you have people to see when you go home. You never spoke about your world much. And when you said you were an orphan I thought maybe you were alone."

"Nah, I've got step-parents, loving ones, and my friends too of course. Four of us were a band of heroes, traveled the world just like Hikari and his friends to save our Crystals. They're a nice bunch. One of them…well, I don't think 'girlfriend' is really the right word…" Terra giggled slightly. "What?" Onion Knight asked.

"Nothing. I just never thought of you as having a girlfriend."

"Well like I said she kinda isn't, we're just friends. But she's really cute, and sometimes when we traveled together I thought she liked me. On the other hand she was caring for all of us when we needed it, so I figured it was just Re-…er, just her way," Onion Knight stopped himself. Terra gave him a look as she realized what he had almost blurted out.

"How come you never told any of us your name?" she asked. Onion Knight sat up again and swung his legs over the side of the bed.

"I dunno…just figured I wouldn't be here long. I hoped it would just be a quick trip, get our Crystals and be done. Didn't plan on getting attached to any of you, no offense. Thought if I stayed 'Onion Knight' to you guys it would be easier for you to forget about me when we went home, no hard feelings I guess."

"That's a horrible thing to think, I could never forget about you, and I doubt any of us will. The adventure we've been on is just as grand as the one you've been on with your friends, and they'd never forget you right? Will you forget them?"

"Of course not!"

"Then how can you think we would?" Terra asked. Onion Knight nodded, pursing his lip.

"Good point, I guess," he shrugged.

"So can you tell me now then?" Terra asked. Onion Knight thought for a moment, then reached up to his helmet. With a second's hesitation beforehand, he pulled it off and set it on his lap. Medium-length silver bangs fell over his forehead without the helmet to hold them up, a short ponytail trailing down his neck. He sat still for a moment before turning to Terra.

"…Luneth," he whispered. Terra smiled and reached over to hug him.

"That's a fine name."

* * *

Tidus grunted as he got closer to the floor, his nose almost touching the wood, before pushing himself back up.

_"Twenty-one," _he thought, lowering back down and then coming back up. _"Twenty-two."_ The door opened, and Tidus turned his eyes over as he went down for the twenty-third push-up. He lost his concentration and fell on his stomach with a thump.

"Sorry," Jecht muttered, giving a small shrug. Tidus grumbled under his breath and stood up, brushing himself off.

"What the heck do you want?" he asked, looking over at Jecht.

"Came to talk to ya," Jecht replied, coming into the room and shutting the door behind him.

"No kidding. What about?"

"Well, was just thinkin'…about tomorrow…I ain't too comfortable with what might happen…so, was thinking…"

"What, you gonna flake out on us old man?" Tidus said, crossing his arms.

"As if!" Jecht snorted. "If anything I would advise _you_ to be the one out of us to turn tail runt. But naw, that isn't it. Just been thinking about what's gonna go down when we win."

"That's an easy one. We kick Chaos' ass and go home," Tidus said, pumping his fist.

"Well, easy for you maybe. In case you forgot, I wasn't exactly called here in the name of light 'n all that."

"Oh yeah…" Tidus thought for a moment. "So what's gonna happen to you then?"

"See, that's the thing, I'm not sure. Went up and had a chat with Golbez, he doesn't know either, and if any of us would know it'd be him, so I don't have a clue. That's what's buggin' me, I did all this, servin' Chaos and then turning on him with Golbez, to try and get back. Just seems a gip that in the end it's probably not gonna happen."

"Maybe it just isn't meant to be," Tidus suggested. "I mean, you kinda already lived your life out dad." Jecht nodded.

"Yeah, I know. Wasn't much of an ending though, had to leave you and your mom behind, never had any idea what was happening with either of ya until Auron thought up the idea for me to cross over."

"Really? You never knew?" Tidus asked, surprised. He had assumed his father somehow had been informed of he and his mother's lives.

"How could I? That's why I came here, wanted to talk to you. Ask ya some things I might not to get to find out myself," Jecht said.

"Sure, ask away," Tidus said, sitting on the bed.

"First things first then. What happened to her?"

"She died. A year or so after you went missing. She just sort of gave up, lost her strength. Got sick and didn't wake up one morning."

"Aw geez…sorry."

"Why, not like you killed her. And you sent Auron to look after me, right?"

"Yeah, but that don't make it right…" Jecht looked away in thought, staring out the window. "I had to send him. I wanted to make sure you had someone watching your back. I knew that if anyone could take my place…well, as much as they could be expected to, it'd be Auron. If I could have chosen anyone from Zanarkand, I'd have still gone with him."

"Yeah, he was a Guardian his entire life, in a way. First Braska, then me, and Yuna too," Tidus agreed. Jecht nodded, and looked over at him.

"I wanted to be there for ya kid. I did. Always told myself I was gonna train you to be the best, just like me. I know you became a Blitzer though, so that'll do. Your team, they good too?"

"You mean in Spira, or Zanarkand? Either way, we're the best, champions. Everyone in both worlds knows I'm the one and only ace in the league."

"Heh, you'd better be, you got the blood of three generations of Blitzers in your body, boy. Though you might have to take a back seat if I _do_ get back. I may be a bit past my prime but I wouldn't mind diving back in," Jecht said with a grin.

"I could take you," Tidus snickered. "That big deal 'Jecht Shot' of yours is old news, I'd block it and swim circles around you."

"Old news? So lemme guess, you figured it out at last huh?"

"Figured it out, mastered it, and improved it. 'Jecht Shot Mark II', old man. There isn't a Blitzer in Spira who doesn't fear it. And I'm working on Mark I."

"There never was a Mark I or II, you know that."

"There are now, thanks to me."

"That so?" Jecht said, smirking. He turned around and put a foot on the edge of the bed to lean over. "Alright runt. Let's hear how they work."

* * *

_"Tomorrow…it all ends. One way or the other."_

A small candle lamp he had taken from his garage in Edge lighted Cloud's room. The light of the candle inside was amplified and lit the room up in a golden glow. It had been lit with Cloud's own hands, a small force Fire spell he had called upon and controlled. He had spent much of the day focusing his powers, not casting them but willing them to act and then trying to manifest the specific spell he wanted. Terra's training and advice worked, it was on short notice but it worked. Now he was resting with night having fallen to "recharge", so to speak. He had only left his room to see Firion and present him with a pile of slightly wet blue glass shards, the remnants of two Potions that Firion had given him. It seemed like an eternity ago, he had forgotten them as he got used to them crowding his back pocket, and then they had never been used and ended up being a waste. Firion wasn't bothered by it though. Cloud was only vaguely curious as to when in his journey they broke.

_"It doesn't matter now. I have to stop focusing on the path behind me and look forward. That's always been my weakness and Sephiroth knows it," _Cloud thought. _"I can settle my past at last, truly leave it behind. Once I beat him. I can bury him in my memories and he'll stay there this time. I can move on from it all…" _There was a knock at his door, and Cloud turned around. "Come in," he said softly. The door swung open to reveal Terra.

"I hope I'm not disturbing you," she said, clicking it shut behind her. Cloud shook his head.

"No. Just thinking," he replied. "Been spending most of the day experimenting with my powers."

"And?"

"I can control them a lot easier now. It's as you taught me, call on the power and visualize how I want it to manifest. I'm resting them now though, it's a bit tiring after a while."

"Right," Terra nodded. "Do you think you'll retain them when we go home? In your world you don't have innate magic like you do now."

"I'm not sure. I've been pondering that myself. If I get a choice, I'd like to keep them. I like this power, to be honest. I like being strong," Cloud said.

"You're strong already," Terra said.

"I know, but this is different," Cloud agreed. Terra looked hesitant for a moment, and Cloud lay down on the bed, kicking his boots off. "There's something else," he said slowly. "It began after Hikari granted me his power, but it hasn't really kicked in until yesterday."

"What?" Terra asked. Cloud stared at his feet as he tried to figure out how to phrase it.

"I think, the memories Sephiroth was interfering with, and all the past stuff I'd already been hazy on…I think it was due to our bond, and the Sephiroth genes inside me. When Hikari purified me, they were destroyed. So the last couple of days, I've been remembering things. Things I know now I already knew before but forgot, and things I never recalled before."

"Like what?" Terra asked, coming closer.

"The day Zack died…Nibelheim burning…all the things that I couldn't remember before are becoming clear. It's like an entire chapter of my life is coming back to me," Cloud explained. He looked over at her. "And more recent things too…I remember what happened in the Forgotten City. I remember how you freed me."

"Oh…I see," Terra whispered, looking away. Her cheeks reddened slightly. "Is this where we have that conversation again about why I didn't tell you?"

"No, I can guess for myself. It's not exactly the easiest thing to confess, and I'm not angry about you keeping it secret," Cloud shrugged. "I'm more interested in why you thought to do it to free me."

"Because, I…I was worried you were lost, that if I couldn't break through to you Sephiroth was going to destroy your mind. I wasn't worried about myself, I knew if I had to I could escape, or subdue you. I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to save you though, that I…that I was going to lose you. I couldn't think of what to do, and when he was pushing me back, I began to panic," Terra looked back at him. "I guess, I don't know why. I just did it. There wasn't time to think it over, it just happened. I'm sorry."

"I'm not angry. It freed me, right?" Cloud replied. Terra nodded. "Then don't apologize. You saved me. You've done that a lot since we've been together, I couldn't begin to keep count of how many times I owe you for doing that."

"And you've saved me a lot too, so how about we call it even? she said.

"Right," Cloud agreed. "We'll be splitting the saving tomorrow. We've got a whole team to look out for now."

"They can handle themselves. I think the incident up on deck proved you don't have to be the leader you think you do to be a good leader," Terra replied.

"Yeah. Still, of all the people to choose, I don't get why it was me," Cloud shrugged. "If I had to pick a successor, it would be you probably. You're the strongest of us when you go all-out." Terra suddenly looked puzzled, and bit her lip. "What?" Cloud asked.

"When we were going to bring you back," she whispered. "Hikari…he told me that if it didn't work, he still had to pass on the power to someone. If we couldn't revive you…he said he would pass them to me." Terra gave Cloud an odd look. "Your burden was that close to being mine. He said I didn't have to tell you if I didn't want to…"

"So why tell me now? Volunteering?" Cloud asked.

"I don't know. If you want to try, I could take the power for you. I mean, if you can even," Terra said softly. Cloud thought for a moment, then shook his head.

"Nevermind…I appreciate the offer though. But I can't just run from it like that. He chose me. I may not have wanted to be chosen but it doesn't matter now. Have to deal, right?" Terra nodded, turning her eyes down. The room darkened slightly, and he turned his head to see the twin moons obscured by passing clouds. Wondering again how this world had two moons and what world they came from, he continued watching until the clouds began to clear. Feeling the bed creak slightly, he wondered what it was. Then he felt something press against his arm and turned his head. Terra was lying on the bed next to him, her bangs and the angle of her head hiding her face from his view.

"I came here to talk to you about something important," she said softly, her hands clasped over her skirt. "When we beat Chaos tomorrow, we're all going to go home, right?"

"That's the plan, hopefully," Cloud said.

"Yes, but…I've been thinking about this for a while, and I'm not even sure if it's possible, but I've come to a decision…when the time comes," Terra hesitated. "I…I'm not going home."

"What?" Cloud asked, confused. Terra turned to face him.

"I don't want to return to my world," she repeated. "I want to go with you to yours."

"Terra, you can't," Cloud said, shaking his head.

"Why not? If I have the choice, it's what I want. If I can't I'll accept that, but if there's a chance that I can come with you then I'm going to."

"What about your world?"

"There's not much reason to go back. I never see any of my friends anymore, the kids of the village are growing older, they're starting to leave," Terra said. "Even if I go back, within a few years everyone I took care of will be gone, and what then? I'll be alone in a backwater village almost no one knows about. They don't need me anymore Cloud, and there's nothing else left for me in that world. If I go back, I'll lose my powers again, the essence of magic is gone from my world. But if I go with you, then maybe I can keep them. I don't want to give my powers up again after coming to understand and control them like I can now, and I don't want to go back to my world just to watch the people that gave my life meaning leave me."

"You're sure about this?" Cloud asked, realizing already she was. He remembered her stories about trying to find her place in her world, and finding it in the village of orphans. What she was saying made sense he supposed, but still, it was one thing to lament the loss of your family, it was another to ask to travel to another world.

"I am, I told you I've been thinking about this. There's not much left in my world for me, my friends would understand if I could tell them. And the stories you've told me are fascinating, and the places from your world we've seen are amazing. The Cetra, Jenova, mako, Materia, your friends, I want to see them for myself. The sense of magic in your world is incredible, and I want to experience it more. My world is dead of magic, always was until Kefka ruined it, but yours is full of magic, and I like it. I want to see your world Cloud, and I want you to be the one to show it to me," Terra said. "I still want to restore my world, but I don't want to go back, there's too much to give up now. I didn't come here to ask permission, I came here to tell you that this is my decision. I'm just asking you now to accept it and understand." Cloud stared at her for a moment, eyes locked on hers, and slowly nodded.

"Okay," he whispered. "I do understand. I don't think it can be done, but if it can, then alright. I'll show you my world, all of it."

"Thank you," Terra replied, smiling. Cloud returned the gesture, and she turned her head forward, shuffling a bit closer. Cloud looked down at her hands, and after a moment's thought moved the hand on his knee to cover hers. "I was worried you wouldn't want me to come," she admitted.

"Ridiculous. We've been through a lot together," Cloud replied. "As long as you're happy with it, then I don't mind."

"Good." The room fell silent, the two staring off into space. "You know before we face Chaos tomorrow, we'll have to fight him again," Terra said suddenly.

"I do. And I'm going to beat him," Cloud said.

"_We_," Terra corrected. She turned her head again to look at him. "We've both got grudges with him to settle now, so don't think I'm going to stand back. We'll fight him as a team, like before, and we'll win," she continued. "Then we'll defeat Chaos, and go home. Together." Cloud nodded. He felt warmth on the back of his hand, and noted her other hand coming over his, squeezing it. He reciprocated the gesture on the hand under his, noting how small her hand was compared to his.

"Home…"

Cloud didn't know if she moved, or if he did. All he knew is that a moment later he was kissing her. Her eyes were closed, her head still. He had only done this a handful of times before, and for some reason he felt like a child again for it, but he was hesitant. To his relief, somewhat, she wasn't pulling away and seemed very much in the same mindset of indecisiveness. Deciding to push away his concerns he brought up his free hand to cup her cheek. After several seconds kissing her he pulled back. Or maybe she did. He didn't know, and thinking about it a minute afterwards decided he didn't care. Terra calmly turned her head back to lay it against his shoulder. Dropping his hand from his face he leaned back against her in response. Their hands hadn't parted.

"Terra?"

"Yes, Cloud?"

"Are you scared about tomorrow?"

"Terrified."

"…Me too."

Not another word passed either of their lips that night, and eventually the two fell asleep leaning against the other, the room going dark as the candle lamp in the corner burnt itself out.


	37. Warriors of Light and Darkness

Shards of Memory

**I was planning to do this all as one chapter but it ended up being much, much longer than I thought. Thus, you can have a two-parter, look at it as good or bad as you like.**

Chapter 37

Warriors of Light and Darkness

_**"It is all an endless dream. Yet still…the fantasy must come to an end…"**_

* * *

Morning had dawned sufficiently late enough for the Warrior of Cosmos to each get a sound night's sleep. As the sun rose and the warriors roused, one by one they emerged from their rooms and came to the deck of the airship. Few words were spoken among them, the horizon, distant at the dawn but now much closer, drawing their attention. At some point forward an invisible line had been drawn, and the grassy plains under the airship now stopped. Beyond that line lay a dark, bleak and dead wasteland, the dirt gray and faded. The clouds rumbled with thunder, glowing purple of varying shades as they rolled against each other. Beyond the border lay a great abyss, and over that abyss floated a large island, a large temple partly in ruins on it. In the air around and above it, bits of rubble floated suspended in the air.

"There it is," Cloud whispered. The others silently agreed. The Chaos Shrine was so close Cloud could walk there, if not for the problem on the ground below. Standing at the bow of the airship, he took a step forward and looked down again. The ground below was teeming with Crystelle. There were thousands, perhaps tens or even hundreds of thousands, writhing as a great colored mass. Warbled battle cries and shouts came from below, but fortunately the creatures were either too unintelligent to know how to attack them in the air or were simply unable to. Cloud didn't care either way, he was grateful for it.

"Let us hope we don't have to fight them, there is no way we could defeat such a horde," Cecil whispered. Beside him Zidane nodded in agreement. Luneth looked over the edge of the ship and whistled lowly.

"Anyone else thinking of finding something to throw at them?" he asked. He looked over his shoulder from the railing to see a few irritated glares. "Oh come on, like I'm the only one thinking it!" he cried defensively. Bartz coughed slightly and looked away sheepishly.

"Let's not antagonize them, we shouldn't take any chances," Firion advised. Cloud turned to Golbez at the controls.

"Take us right to the shrine. I don't see a bridge there so we're going to have to make an air landing," he called. Golbez nodded. Turning back, Cloud braced himself as the border of the two territories reached the airship's bow. He was expecting some sort of tingle or other sensation, as he had felt when he entered Order's Sanctuary. And there was such a sensation, but not a supernatural one. A cold breeze shot through the air, raising the hairs on Cloud's arms. The air was thick and chilled, and a stale stench reached his nose.

"Why has nothing happened yet?" Terra thought aloud. "Shouldn't they know we're here?" Cloud was thinking much the same thing. Then again, as had been pointed out before there had been many chances in the past for them to attack while the group was off their guard.

"Maybe they're waiting to spring an ambush," Tidus suggested.

"We'll have to chance it," Cloud said. "We can't turn back now, we've always been aiming for this place since the start. Even if we are walking into a trap, we have no choice but to spring it." The airship neared the shrine, and began to turn. They soon came parallel to the wall, and a small piece of land in front of the doors was soon underneath them. Luneth heaved the rope ladder over the side of the ship, and it piled slightly on the ground.

"Everyone has everything they need, right?" Squall asked. They grouped as they thought it over. Cloud looked over his shoulder. The six swords were firm in their harness. The airship's engines went faint as the airship stopped and hovered in the air. The air suddenly seemed a bit too quiet aside from the distant rumble of the clouds. Even the Crystelle below were relatively silent. Cloud approached Luneth and looked down at the ground, and realized everyone was looking at him as he turned around.

"Well, this is it," he said, taking a breath. "Alright, everyone, let's mosey."

Turning back around Cloud descended the ladder. He had a clear view over the landscape through the rungs as he descended below the bottom of the airship, not long after which he felt the ground under his feet and stepped back. One by one the Warriors of Cosmos followed him, Golbez being the last to come.

"What about the ship?" Jecht asked, looking the airship over. A few of them followed suit.

"She served us well," Cecil replied. "But there's nothing we can do for her now. Let's just hope she gets back to her own world in one piece." Turning towards the doors of the shrine, Cloud's eyes scanned them. They were carved out of dull gray stone and seemed to swing outwards. Reached to his back, Cloud took out the main blade of his swords and held it out.

"Shield your eyes," he warned. The blade glowed brightly, and Cloud slammed it into the door. A blast of golden light pulsed from the blade, shattering the stone inward. As the dust settled, Cloud looked at the light over the blade, slightly stunned.

_"That was different," _he thought, watching the gold aura subside. That power though, was very familiar._"Hikari…"_ looking back up Cloud entered, the others behind him. The main hall of the Chaos Shrine stretched before them, a red carpet leading up a ramp to a throne against the far wall. Pillars line the hallways beside them, other doors leading deeper into the building. Terra looked around and frowned. She couldn't sense anything here, her powers were still responsive but she couldn't detect any enemies.

"Cloud," she began quietly.

"I know," he nodded, sensing the same thing she was. "They're hiding." Taking a few steps forward Cloud began to ascend the ramp, gaining a better view over the balconies and ledges overlooking the hall. Tidus' suspicions were correct – an ambush in this place would be easy to set up. Cloud glanced behind him to see the rest of the group spreading out, and turned back to the throne that was now a foot in front of him. "Where are they?" he thought aloud. He heard footsteps behind him, and from the now familiar tingle of energy on his senses knew who it was.

"Something's not right," Terra whispered. "Do you think something happened to them?"

"I'm not sure," Cloud replied. "They have to be here somewhere." Turning around he began walking back to the group. "If they're hiding, we have to go to them. We split up, four groups, I want you guys in threes, divide yourselves up. Terra, you're with me."

"Where do we look?" Zidane asked.

"Pick a hallway," Cloud shrugged. The thief nodded, and he and Bartz scurried up a ledge, Squall climbing up after them. Firion put a hand on Luneth's shoulder and gave the youth a sharp nod, leading to another path. The remaining four looked at each other for a moment. Eventually Jecht sighed and turned to the hall Firion and Luneth had gone towards, hefting his sword onto his shoulder.

"Guess I'll be the fourth wheel. Ya look after the boy, ya hear Golbez?" he said.

"No. I shall accompany Firion and Luneth. You stay with Cecil," Golbez replied, walking past him. "I trust you to protect him in my place." Jecht shrugged and turned to the two with a grin. Tidus made a face, and the three set down a darkened hall. Golbez, Firion and Luneth went down the other.

"Where are we going?" Terra asked. "Why send them off?"

"I trust them to handle themselves if they come across Kuja or Sephiroth. You and me though, we're going to find Garland," Cloud replied.

"But we don't know where he is."

"I've got a plan. I want you to-" Cloud was cut off by an explosion, and whirled his head to the entrance of the shrine. The two ran forward to the doors to see the airship descending into the abyss below, flames spewing from its rear. It fell into the swirling vortex between the floating island and was quickly torn apart in a display of lightning and darkness. Loud thuds range throughout the chamber in sequence behind them as massive sheets of stone slammed down the hallways, blocking their entrances. At the sound of laughter, the two turned.

"That was easier than we expected," Garland laughed, standing in front of the throne. "We had thought it might take some provoking to separate you. How fortunate for us we underestimated your gullibility."

"And fortunate for us, the man we're looking for came right out to meet us," Cloud muttered, walking towards him and holding out his sword. "Garland! Face me!" Garland tilted his head, and then leaned back.

"Ah, you must be the one he chose. Hikari's successor as Champion…he chose well enough, I suppose, you seem to be possess considerable strength. Still, you're not half the warrior he was," Garland declared. "I could twist you into a knot with one hand, little man."

"Face me now and I'll prove otherwise," Cloud said.

"And the woman?" Garland asked. Cloud looked at Terra, who met his gaze firmly.

"She's back-up," Cloud replied, looking back at him.

"Hah. Amusing, the new Champion appoints a female as his right hand," Garland said.

"I'm no ordinary woman," Terra shot back, lightning crackling along her fingertips.

"True enough perhaps, but it matters not how powerful you may or may not be. The rules of engagement state that the Champions of Light and Darkness are the only ones able to kill the other save for the gods. However Cloud, there is no law on how we come to that final blow."

"Meaning?" Cloud asked. Garland lifted his hands and clapped twice, the metallic sound echoing. With flashes of light, one by one Crystelle appeared on the ledges on either side of them.

"Meaning I may sit back with Lord Chaos and observe you fight until your last ounce of strength leaves you. Then I shall arrive to finish you," Garland said. "If by some chance you survive, make your way to the roof of the shrine. I shall await you beyond the Edge of Madness!" Garland vanished in a burst of darkness, and Cloud and Terra looked over the Crystelles facing down at them, stepping back until their backs pressed up against the other's.

"Any ideas?" Terra asked, blue eyes darting over the colored mass poised to strike.

"Nothing's coming to mind, except for 'destroy them all'," Cloud said. Terra nodded.

"Works for me," she replied. Orbs of energy appeared in her palms, and she brought her hands up to fire a burst of flame at the Crystelle. A golden aura appeared over Cloud's sword and this time he didn't question it, instead opting to leap up and swing it through the air, a band of light flying forward and cleaving several Crystelle apart. The battle begun, the remaining automatons leapt forward to swarm the two.

* * *

"I told ya it was a trap," Tidus lectured, hands folded with the Brotherhood tucked under his arm. "But no one listens to me, huh?"

"Yeah yeah, ya want a medal, runt?" Jecht grumbled. Ahead of them Cecil lead the way, eyes and ears alert for danger. Coming into a more open cavern, he halted immediately. Jecht and Tidus came up behind him and saw why. The room before them had a balcony overhead wrapping around the walls. And the balcony was holding a large mass of Crystelle staring down at them.

"Think we can turn back and walk away?" Jecht muttered. The Crystelle leaped forward in one motion. "Guess not!" he snapped. Cecil ran forward, twirling his sword in his hand. He ducked the swing of a Crystelle's weapon and brought the blade into their stomach, flipping them over to the ground. With the same motion the tip of the blade pierced another's head, its body shattering. Tidus ran forward, leaping and planting his sword in the fallen Crystelle's back, then leaping off into the air to swing at another. Behind the two came Jecht, leaping over their heads and slamming a fist into a Crystelle's chest. He turned to punch another, his arm flying out with the momentum to cleave apart a second beside him.

"We've gotta get through them and find a way back!" Cecil said. He cut apart a Crystelle, his armor flashing and turning black. Cecil turned and held out a hand, a swirl of dark energy orbs flying from his palm and pushing several Crystelle back. He looked around and pointed towards a distant doorway. "That's our escape," he said. Tidus looked where he pointed and smirked.

"No sweat," he said, backflipping and then springing forward. He brought his sword down to cleave apart an enemy in one blow. "We can take down these guys."

"Tidus, there's an endless supply of them," Cecil protested.

"I'm with the kid," Jecht grunted, fist smashing into red crystal. "We'll retreat when we need to, if we just run they'll follow us. At least we can thin them out." Cecil reluctantly nodded and turned his attention back to the fight. His armor flashed again as he shifted back to his light-aligned armor, ducking under a diving Crystelle and standing to flip it over his head. Tidus ran past him, jumped up onto a Crystelle's shoulders and leaping off to fly forward, the Brotherhood cutting apart three of them before he landed on the ground and rolled, knocking down two more.

Cecil turned and held out his sword, swirls of light energy gathering along the blade. Swinging it back a wave of light flung forward, shattering several Crystelle on contact. A blow to his back caught him off guard and he fell to his knees. Jecht turned at the sound and swung his sword, smashing a Crystelle that had gotten behind Cecil. A short distance away, Tidus was turning and parrying blows as the Crystelles began to overwhelm him. Backflipping away and cutting apart two that leapt at him, he landed next to Jecht and Cecil as the trio turned to survey their enemies.

"There's no end to them," Cecil said, panting slightly.

"Maybe we should rethink our strategy," Tidus agreed. "Dad?" Jecht made a face but looked around.

"…fine, let's go," he said, punching down a Crystelle. "Go on!" the three turned and began to run for the earlier exit, dodging and counterattacking on the way. Tidus swung and was knocked forward by a blow from behind. Not breaking stride Jecht reached down and grabbed the back of his shirt. "Keep swingin' kid," he called, using his free hand to slash apart more enemies. Scowling slightly Tidus obeyed and defended his father's other side. In front of them Cecil sent out waves of light to push them back and clear a path. Finally reaching the door, Tidus and Jecht ran through as Cecil stopped and turned. Shifting into his dark armor, he held his sword over his head and slammed it into the ground. A blast of dark fire knocked several Crystelle back, and Cecil took the chance to lift his sword back up. A second dark wave cracked the frame of the door, and he turned to follow Tidus and Jecht as the entrance collapsed.

* * *

"I could've told him splitting up was a bad idea. Splitting up is how you end up separated," Bartz said, walking in step beside Zidane.

"We would have gotten trapped regardless. All things considered, it's better that only the two of them got trapped, the rest of us are free as far as we know," Squall replied behind them.

"Good point," Zidane said. "But now we're all apart and we have no idea where we're…" the thief trailed off as the hallway ended. The shattered segments of floor and wall continue on for a few feet indicated that once it may have continued, but now it ended outside the shrine. Pieces of rubble floated in the air, some large enough to perch on, and several of them slowing spinning in place. Leaning over slightly Bartz saw the swirling abyss of darkness below the floating island the shrine lay on, and backed up.

"So uh, where to from here?" he asked.

"We could chance climbing up the rubble to the roof," Zidane suggested, gesturing to the bits of wall and floor hovering in the air.

"Not all of us are as dexterous as you," Squall muttered. The floor under their feet shook, and behind them a stone wall slammed into place, trapping the three on the small outcropping of stone.

"Well," Kuja said, floating from behind a block of rubble. A blood-red aura lit up his arms and legs, which were covered in red and purple fur. "That may be a problem."

"Kuja!" Zidane snarled, grabbing his daggers from his belt. "I'm only gonna say this once – back off and let us go, or die here!"

"Oh my," Kuja feigned shock, pressing a hand to his cheek. "Are those my only two options?" with a dark glint in his eye, glowing blue orbs of energy appeared in the air around him, circling him in formation. "In that case, I choose destroying the three of you." The orbs flung forward, and the three leapt up as they impacted the stone and exploded. Squall landed on an outcropping higher up the wall, while Zidane briefly landed on a smaller piece of rubble floating in the air and leapt off it to a larger one, wobbling for a moment as he got his balance. Bartz, however, landed on a floating chunk of wall and began to slide off as it rotated onto a slant with his added weight.

"Bartz!" Zidane looked around and jumped onto another floating piece of stone, then jumped down to grab onto the other end of the piece Bartz was holding onto. The force of impact tilted it back, and Zidane reached a hand down. Kuja sneered and lifted a hand, the orbs circling his arm and lighting up in fire.

"Back off!" Kuja turned and flew back in the air as Squall dove at him, the Revolver slicing past him. Squall looked back as he flew past and pulled the gunblade's trigger. It lit up red for a moment before firing a blast of flame into Kuja's face, an empty shell casing flipping out of the barrel. Recoiling with a screech Kuja clutched his face. Landing on a floating rock Squall turned to it and slammed the Revolver into it, his feet sliding and then stopping as he used it as a handhold.

"Ignorant cretins," the genome hissed, lowering his hands. The orbs began to orbit him faster, and with a snarl Kuja launched them towards Squall. Squall looked up and jumped, the Revolver emerging from the rock as he flew through the air and landed on another distant stone. Kuja grunted as he felt an impact on his back, and was catapulted forward as Zidane kicked off his back, landing in a crouch behind him. Turning around as he stopped in the air, Kuja looked around to see the three surrounding him. "You think the three of you are enough to destroy me?" he laughed.

"We _know_ we are," Zidane countered, leaping at him. Kuja giggled and ducked out of the way, the orbs of magic flying up to cut Zidane off and encircle him. Zidane leapt away from them, the orbs tracking him. Kuja turned as Squall jumped after him, dodging and waving his hand to shoot two fireballs into his back. Squall pitched forward in the air and looked up as Bartz came down the rubble. In a flash of dark light a long spear-like sword appeared in his hand, and he dove down to throw it through the air. Squall looked down as the sword pierced his jacket and embedded in the rock behind him, stopping his descent.

"Comin'!" Bartz yelled, jumping onto a nearby outcropping. The force of his landing sent it spinning forward towards Squall, who pulled the sword free and fell onto it while Bartz leapt to a safer foothold. Meanwhile, Kuja was distracted with Zidane, leaping in and out of view on narrow platforms. Orbs of magic were slung through the air, shattering them as he caught glimpses of his hair or tail darting about. Squall look up and snapped the Revolver to the ground. He pulled the trigger and the blade lit up in blue energy, sending him rocketing upwards. Kuja's head wrenched back with a shriek as Squall cut up along his torso. Doubling over, the genome glared at him as he landed on solid ground.

"You…" he whispered, the wound already healing itself. "You'll pay for that!"

* * *

"We should attempt to relocate Cecil and the others before seeking our enemies," Golbez said quietly. Ahead of him Luneth looked over his shoulder at the half-Lunarian.

"Yeah, assuming we can. They split us up to fight us alone, I don't think they're gonna let us go back that easy," he replied. "Besides, there's a bright side to this, if they split us up then they're split up too."

"Perhaps, if you assume they will be fighting us all at once, and not picking us off team by team, one after the other," Golbez said.

"Way to be a buzzkill," Luneth grumbled. Walking at the lead of the group Firion didn't speak until they came to a fork not long after.

"Which way?" he asked.

"My instincts say left," Luneth said confidently.

"Any particular reason why?" Golbez asked.

"No more than we have reason to go right," Luneth shrugged.

"He has a point," Firion nodded, heading to the left. Luneth followed, and with a small sigh Golbez did as well. The three came to a large open room with pillars lining a long red carpet leading to a grand set of stairs.

"Welcome, honored guests." With a flash of light and feathers, Ultimecia appeared atop the stairs.

"Ultimecia. The time witch," Golbez muttered, reaching to his shoulder for the handle of his sword. The three drew their weapons as Ultimecia looked them over.

"A pity you strayed from our flock, Golbez. You could have been a worthy ally to Mateus' schemes," the sorceress mused, crossing her arms. "And you two, so young to be throwing your lives away. I do hope you have treasured what little time you had before you came here, for that time runs short."

"Yeah right. It ain't like we're gonna die here," Luneth replied.

"He's right. Stand aside Ultimecia, or fall," Firion declared, pointing his sword at her. "We're here for Garland and Chaos, not foul temptresses who will only be a waste of time."

"Spare me the bravado. You haven't the strength to prevail over Chaos and Garland. Your power is too insignificant to challenge a god. We shall be more than strong enough to deliver you to your eternal sleep on our own," Ultimecia laughed.

"Our?" Golbez asked. Ultimecia smiled and spread her arms out. A shadow fell over the trio, and then turned and looked up. Descending above them was a massive beast. Large wings with torn white feathers slapped slowly. It had dark blue, red and black limbs, muscular and strong. Its head was as a lion's, with five red horns. Two sharp red blades emerged from its forearms.

"Griever," Ultimecia called, "make them bleed." Griever roared, the sound echoing through the chamber, and dove down. The three warriors dived out of the way, Luneth rolling to his feet. Griever flew back up and turned to dive again. Behind Luneth Firion grabbed his bow. Reaching over his shoulder he quickly notched and fired two arrows. The heads imbedded themselves in Griever's face, and the beast snarled in pain but kept flying. Running past Firion Golbez leapt up and brought down his sword, hacking off one of Griever's horns. A swipe from a claw knocked him back into a wall.

"It'll take more than a few arrows to bring this beast down," he muttered. "And we still need to deal with the witch."

"Leave it to me!" Luneth shouted, running across the floor. Griever swooped down and he rolled under it, getting back to his feet in an instant and charging at Ultimecia. A small smile on her lips, she lifted a hand to her face and vanished as a bright yellow sword slashed at her. Reappearing to the side she snapped her hand out. Several bright pink arrows of magic appeared behind her and fired forward. Luneth dove out of the way, the arrows turning as he dove and adjusting trajectory to come at him. They narrowly missed him but continued to fly, turning and whistling through the air towards Firion and Golbez.

"Heads up!" he called. Firion ducked one of Griever's claws and lifted his arm to show his shield. A barrier of energy rippled over him as the shield flashed, and Ultimecia's arrows dispersed as they hit it. Above them Griever turned its head to dive back down, and Firion reached to his belt.

"Golbez, can you help Luneth with Ultimecia?" he asked.

"Yes, but what of you?" Golbez replied. Firion unclipped his daggers and twirled them as Griever came closer.

"I've got Griever!" he shouted, throwing the daggers forward. Griever ducked its head to fly under them. Coils of cord unraveled from Firion's belt, and as Griever turned to fly back up they caught on its horns. Firion was pulled into the air, gripping the cords tightly. Realizing its unintended passenger Griever roared angrily and began to spin and dive in the air. Firion gritted his teeth and began to climb. Below Golbez charged at Ultimecia, the witch turning and spreading her arms and wings to fire more arrows of magic into the air. Golbez dodged them and jumped to swing at her. Ultimecia teleported out of the way once again, appearing behind Golbez and holding out a hand to fire a string of arrows into his back. Golbez was flung forward, hitting the ground with a groan. Above, Firion turned his head and lifted his legs to run along the wall as Griever directed him into it. Looking down he loosed his grip on the cord and they quickly unraveled from his belt as he kicked off the wall and flew through the air. Firion lifted his legs as he neared his target, and ltimecia turned in time for him to plant his feet on her chest, kicking her back through the air. Ultimecia flipped over the railing of the stairs to land on her back, grimacing.

"How…undignified," she growled, pushing herself up. Over Firion's head as he tried to get a grip on the cord again with Griever twisting him around, the monster looked down and fired a blast of blue-black energy at him. Firion let go again and dropped down out of the way. He brought his sword up and sliced the cord, flipping down to the ground.

* * *

A blast of flame instantly destroyed six Crystelle, but three more were charging in their wake. Behind Terra, Cloud dual-wielded two of his sword, spinning and slicing apart a swarm of them. He looked across the room and flipped his sword around. The smaller, triangular blade clicked into place over the tip of the larger sword, and Cloud swung it into the ground. A blast of golden light shot from the tip along the carpet and stone, shattering the Crystelle into fragments as it hit them. Terra ducked a sword blow and planted her hands on the ground, columns of fire shooting up in front of her and spinning three of her attackers away.

"We've got to cut through them and find Garland!" Cloud said, drawing another sword from his harness.

"That might be a problem, there's an endless supply of these things, and no exits from the room," Terra replied. Cloud looked around and tried to focus even as he parried and counterattacked incoming blows. There had to be a way…

_"The throne. Beyond the throne."_

"What?" Cloud cried, wincing at a particularly hard blow that his sword caught.

"I didn't say anything!" Terra said.

_"Destroy the throne. Beyond it is the hall that will take you to the portal. Hurry."_

_"What the hell…Sephiroth? No…" _Cloud looked at the throne and tried to figure out who or what was talking to him. Not Terra, it was similar to those dark days when he could hear Sephiroth laughing in his head. But this voice wasn't his…

_"They will overwhelm you soon. Go. The throne. Now." _Cloud scowled.

"The throne, get to the top of the ramp!" he ordered. Terra nodded, holding out a hand to fire a blast of ice, then fleeing through the hole in the horde she had made. Cloud sliced apart a Crystelle and then leaped into the air. "Watch out!" he yelled, a bright orange aura appeared over his sword. He swung the blade out and a barrage of meteorites rained through the air, slamming into the throne at the top of the ramp and the wall around it. "Go, through the smoke!" Terra obeyed and ran as Cloud landed, cleaving apart two Crystelle and following her. He ran through the collapsed wall and ducked as Terra fired a large blue orb of energy over his head. Twin pillars against the wall crumbled and collapsed to close the passage.

"How did you know this was here?" Terra asked as Cloud turned around, panting slightly.

"I sensed it…I think. Or it was a lucky guess. Take your pick," he said. _"That voice…where did it come from? I've never heard anything like it…" _Cloud didn't need yet another complication to his life this late in the quest, not when they were so close to ending it all. Brushing it aside for the moment he looked at their new surroundings. A darkened hallway stretched to the right and left. Terra held up a hand, flames appearing over her fingers.

"Which way?" she asked. Cloud held out his sword, light appearing over it.

"Either one, doesn't matter. They go the same way," he said, remembering the voice. 'The portal', whatever that meant. Unless the voice meant the portal to Chaos' realm? It would make sense for Garland to be there, Cloud supposed. "Take the right, I'll take the left," he said.

"You're sure? Splitting up again?" Terra asked.

"Yeah, like I said they go to the same place. We just follow the path, if either of us comes to a fork, turn around," Cloud said.

"Alright. Be careful," Terra said.

"You too," Cloud nodded. The two turned and went their separate ways.

_"You are wise to trust me."_

_ "You could thank me by telling me who you are," _Cloud replied as the voice returned. _"I don't make a point of trusting random voices in my head, so a name would be helpful."_

_"I must refuse. I am a guide and a mentor, not a participant. My name would have no meaning to you anyway, for it no longer holds any importance. All you need know is that I am trustworthy, and I seek to assist you."_

"Right." Cloud clicked the third sword in his hand into the main blade of the assembly. "We're heading into another battle, aren't we?"

_"It is highly probable," _the voice replied.

"Time to get ready while I can then," Cloud said, reaching for another sword.

* * *

Terra ascended the stairs to find another landing where the passage turned back on itself. Following it back she wondered how high it went, by her count that was the fourth staircase. The hallway was entirely linear and just zigzagged vertically as far as she could tell. She heard, and felt, the distant sounds and sensations of battles being waged and magical energy pulsing and spiking, and silently hoped the rest of them were doing well in whatever conflicts they had been drawn into. As she continued down the hall she saw light at the end of the passage, and began to jog. A final set of stairs lead out into open air, and Terra slowed as she emerged. She had reached the roof. Stepping further out she saw the roof was a large, flat surface with four small stone altars and another stairwell entrance at the far end. Turrets rose all about them. A few ruined walls and stray bricks indicated perhaps this had been an indoor area but the walls and ceiling had been destroyed.

"Welcome." Terra stopped as a dark portal opened up in front of her. Green eyes slowly opened as the portal closed, black cloak and silver hair blowing in the breeze.

"Sephiroth," she muttered, tensing. The swordsman made a show of turning his head to look around before meeting her glare.

"I see you've come alone. Have the rest of your companions already fallen to the rest of my would-be allies?" he asked. "Pity. I had contemplated eradicating them myself, one by one."

"They'll be fine," Terra said confidently.

"Maybe, maybe not. Irrelevant either way," Sephiroth said. "I am pleased, though, that you eluded them and found your way here. I was preparing to come find you, but you stumble up here in time to save me the search."

"So, you're here to fight me. I figured as much," Terra nodded. "Try it though, it won't be like last time."

"I do not 'try', girl. I succeeded in killing Cloud, dispatching you without him to distract me will be simple," Sephiroth replied. Terra was confused.

_"Killing Cloud…he doesn't know," _she realized. The two of them were archenemies, and Sephiroth didn't know Cloud was revived? How had no one told him? Garland certainly seemed to know. Sephiroth seemed to notice the change in her demeanor and smirked.

"I apologize. Do the memories still bear despair for you?" he mocked. "That despair and rage you feel for me served you quite well the last time we fought. I wonder if the darkness in your heart has grown deeper since then. Perhaps you'll indulge me to let it loose. It is your last battle, after all. You may as well channel that rage towards me while you still draw breath."

"What are you talking about?" Terra asked. Behind Sephiroth, she saw Cloud emerge from the opposite stairwell. Moving swiftly but silently, he approached Sephiroth.

"I have higher aims now. I've new goals, which you will help me reach," Sephiroth explained. "It shall be your final purpose before you perish. Focus all your hatred and anger into killing me. It won't be enough to win, but it will be useful for my plans."

"I'm not going to help you do anything," Terra said.

"Oh, but you shall. You severely underestimate me. I have had years to learn the ways of the heart, and yours is frail and weak. It's why you failed to save Cloud, and it's why you've already fallen victim to my whims, even if you cannot see it. Eventually the darkness in that heart will consume you, and once you exhaust all of your strength trying to destroy me, I will take what I need from you and kill you. If need be I shall do the same to your _friend_." At the final word Sephiroth swung, the Masamune appearing in his hand. Cloud raised his swords to block the strike, the clash of metal ringing through the air.

In that instant, there was a sight Cloud decided to remember and treasure. The seemingly permanent sadistic smirk on Sephiroth's face faded, his eyes widening and his mouth opening. Openly expressing his shock at the man standing behind him, Sephiroth stared at Cloud for several seconds before narrowing his eyes again. His surprise was replaced with barely-concealed anger.

"_You_," he hissed. Cloud knocked the Masamune away.

"Something wrong?" he replied. Sephiroth glared at him and began to circle him. Cloud turned his head to watch him, their eyes not parting.

"This isn't real…it's a trick…some sort of illusion," Sephiroth whispered. "You're dead…you cannot be here now…" Cloud smirked, enjoying the rare sight of seeing his archenemy caught off his guard, and moved to stand in front of Terra. Sephiroth stopped, his free hand clenching.

"You're not the only one who can come back to life," he replied. Sephiroth sneered and looked between him and Terra.

"Something is changed…you are augmented somehow…" he realized.

"You can thank Hikari for that," Cloud said. Sephiroth thought for a moment, then chuckled lowly.

"Ah, so that's it. He made you the Champion of Light. It is indeed just as I've heard…he made a pathetic choice."

"We're not here for you. Where's Garland?" Terra asked. Sephiroth looked up, and Cloud and Terra followed his gaze to the swirl of clouds overhead.

"He has gone beyond, to the Edge of Madness. You seek the final Crystal Garland holds, isn't that right?" Sephiroth asked. "The portal to Chaos' throne opens for the Crystal bearers, the final Crystal will do you no good. As long as you hold that wench's Materia, Garland is a triviality. Thus he finds himself at Chaos' right hand, awaiting the final stand with his god."

"In that case, we're wasting time here with you," Cloud decided, assuming a fighting stance. "Unless you want to run, I suggest we make this quick."

"Please. Are you so eager to die again?" Sephiroth taunted. "You seem to have forgotten our last battle, Cloud."

"It's different this time," Terra said. "Hikari's light is Cloud's now. Your hold over him is broken."

"She's right. Your cells in me are gone. Your last rope to the living is cut, Sephiroth," Cloud said. "This time, it's the final end for you." Cloud thought he saw Sephiroth's eyes flash for a moment, and decided to think it was fear or hesitation, before Sephiroth turned away and closed them.

"I see…all the more reason now then, to show you no mercy…not that I ever did before." Sephiroth flung out his hand. His coat tore into shreds at his feet, six white wings bursting from his waist as a black wing emerged over his shoulder. "Light or no light, you'll die again just the same," he sneered.

"Not today. We settle this once and for all," Cloud snapped, a golden aura appearing over his sword. Terra slowly floated into the air beside him, blue energy lighting up her torso. Sephiroth slapped his wings and rose into the air to float above them.

"The pathetic puppet never learns, even with his strings cut he follows the same patterns," he whispered. "No matter, I do not need the S-Cells, they were nothing more but a method to avoid death. Now I don't need them. Your new power means nothing to me."

"You always did talk too much when it came to our fights," Cloud said. "Terra."

"Yes?" the half-Esper replied.

"What say we shut him up for the last time?"

"It'd be an honor," she said. Sephiroth smirked.

"Very well. You two can stand together once again, and so you shall die together as well."


	38. Broken: Cloud & Terra vs Safer Sephiroth

Shards of Memory

**Soooooooo sorry for the long wait, my old PC crashed and I had to wait for an adapter cable for my new PC to get my files from the old. But, here I am, back at all and at full steam! Let's move on!**

Chapter 38

Broken - Cloud & Terra vs Safer Sephiroth

"_**Lowly pawn, has your vaunted blade altered fate's course?"**_

* * *

The Masamune flashed through the air, waves of energy cutting forward. Cloud leapt forward over them as Terra flew up. Cloud's blade flashed gold, and he cut through the waves as he came near Sephiroth. Steel clashed, sending out a shockwave as Sephiroth blocked Cloud's strike. Swinging to knock him away, Sephiroth flung Cloud back through the air and turned to Terra as she fired several orbs of white energy at him. Tendrils of darkness appeared in the air and skewered forward, dispersing them and pursuing Terra. In the air behind Sephiroth, Cloud raised his sword over his head and swung it down, a wave of golden light shooting from the tip. Sephiroth turned at the spike of energy and held out his hand. A blast of green light shot from his palm, the two attacks exploding in the air as they collided. Cloud landed on the ground, his weapon aglow in gold light that pulsed steadily.

"This augmentation to your strength is impressive," Sephiroth conceded, wings flapping in the air. "But it is still not enough to overcome my own."

"We'll see." Jumping back into the air, Cloud landed on a blue barrier that appeared under his feet and jumped again, Terra flying up alongside him. With a scowl and a flurry of feathers Sephiroth vanished. Cloud felt a tingle of energy and turned in the air, raising his sword. A moment later Sephiroth appeared in a flash of light and attacked, the Masamune glancing off the blade. A large shard of ice fired from Terra's hand and Sephiroth vanished again. "Terra!" Cloud cried. Terra spun and dove back in the air as Sephiroth reappeared and swung where she had been, the Masamune leaving a trail of violet light in the air and narrowly missing her. Sephiroth growled and swung the sword back again. Bands of energy lashed out through the air. Cloud jumped forward and slashed through them, holding out his hand. Lightning fired from his fingertips, catching Sephiroth in the hip. Recoiling with a cry, Sephiroth looked down as Cloud came closer and dove after him, bringing his sword over his shoulder. A flash of light caught his eye, and a large ball of fire slammed into his side, knocking him off balance. The dive became a fall, and Sephiroth caught a glancing blow on his chest as Cloud passed him.

"Seems things are a bit different this time," Terra called, floating down beside Cloud as he landed on a glowing blue barrier. In the air before them Sephiroth righted himself, his free hand clutching his chest. Sneering at the two he waved his hand through the air. Orbs of darkness appeared surrounding him, and a swing of the Masamune sent them spiraling forward. Cloud and Terra charged, simultaneous blasts of ice and fire stopping the orbs in the air. Sephiroth flapped up higher and raised his hand, an orb of black energy appearing in his hands. A glowing portal opened in the air behind him and a swarm of meteors rained down before him. Cloud looked up and swung his sword up over his head, swinging it twice and snapping it down. Six meteorites appeared from the blade and shot forward with the motion. The two meteor swarms met and shattered into rubble in the air, falling to the roof of the shrine below.

"Disappointed?" Cloud called up. Sephiroth descended before them, scowling. "We're not going to lose, not this time!" he snapped. Without another word Sephiroth spun in place, more orbs of energy appearing around his wings and firing towards them.

* * *

Stone exploded inches in front of Squall's face, sending him flying backwards to land on a pathway running between two towers. Jerking his head to the side Kuja avoided a lance flung at his head and turned to the thrower. Bartz jumped away as the orbs circling Kuja shot five streams of flame at him, tracking him as he landed on a larger piece of floating rock and ran along it to land beside Squall. Kuja turned to look for where he had last seen Zidane and flew out of the way as several red bolts of energy fired at him. He flung out a hand as he flew and sent his orbs towards Zidane, the five acting on their own to chase and attempt to slam into him as he ran to join Bartz and Squall.

"You can't keep scurrying out of my grasp forever!" Kuja snarled, snapping his fingers to bring his orbs back into formation around him.

"Same to you!" Zidane shot back. The three leapt into action again. Bartz held out a hand, a lance appearing in his grasp. Squall held out the Revolver as he ran and pulled the trigger, blasts of magic firing at Kuja as he flew around the rubble to evade. Zidane followed him, jumping over the rubble and keeping him in view until he saw a chance to strike. Jumping forward, Zidane planted his feet on a rock in a position vertical to the ground and pushed off to lunge at Kuja. The two genomes were flung back, Zidane using one hand to grab Kuja's wrist while one of his legs entangled with Kuja's to keep them locked together. His other hand swung a dagger as Kuja's face, Kuja pulling back his face to see the blade pass before his eyes. Orbs of magic descended around them, swooping through the air like birds of prey to attack Zidane. He was knocked off of Kuja and flailed in the air with no immediate handholds coming into view.

"On my way!" Zidane turned his head to see Bartz running towards him. Bartz held out a hands and a pair of daggers appeared in them. He jumped and threw the daggers to Squall as a spool of core unwound on his belt. He swung down, using one hand to hold onto the cords and the other held out to Zidane. Zidane reached for Bartz's hand and missed, the mime's hand instead finding a grip on his tail. Zidane let out a yowl but didn't complain otherwise as they swung to safety. The cord on Bartz's belt vanished in a flash of light.

"Thanks," he said, looking over his shoulder at his tail, a bit of fur matted down from Bartz's hand. The two looked up at Kuja flying overhead. "We've gotta ground him somehow, we can't fight as long as he can just fly around freely," Bartz said.

"I'm open to suggestions," Zidane replied. Kuja waved a hand and the magical orbs spun in a circle in front of him, conjuring several large balls of fire that launched down at them. The two ran out of their way, jumping onto a higher ledge.

"I got one," Squall said, jumping down next to them. "Let him fly and keep blasting us, I say we give him a taste of his own medicine. We got a way to reflect it?"

"Leave that to me," Zidane nodded. The three jumped into action, running across choice bits of rubble. Momentarily unnerved by their fragmentation. Kuja flung out a hand. The ring of energy turned to send more fireballs at Bartz. The mime grimaced as waves of heat pounded into his back and kept running. Some distance away Squall took up position on a larger, flat piece of rock and snapped the Revolver out to the side, the blade glowing with blue energy. Below Kuja, Zidane clicked his daggers together and twirled them, getting ready.

"Enough scampering around, little mouse!" Kuja taunted, drawing a hand over his shoulder. Another blast of flame launched at Bartz, and he skidded to a halt and looked up as it neared. A dark lance-like sword appeared in his hand, and he thrust it forward. A blast of dark purple flame shot forward, slamming into Kuja's attack and exploding. Kuja wrenched his head back in a screech. Below, Squall jumped up, holding the Revolver behind him, and triggered it. The blue blade flashed and sent him rocketing up, the Revolver slashing across Kuja's back. Kuja pitched forward, tumbling in the air.

"This is it Kuja!" Zidane cried, diving at him. Kuja lifted his head to Zidane as he came close and waved a hand to see his orbs at the thief. Zidane slashed them out of the way, bolts of energy crackling along the blades of his daggers, and descended on Kuja. Zidane stabbed one of the Mage Mashers into Kuja's chest, Kuja doubling over into him, and the second Mage Masher embedded itself in his back. Kuja slowly turned his head to look at Zidane. On either side of him, the daggers began to glow with blue light.

"Z…Zidane," he gasped weakly, his eyes wide. Zidane gave him a grim look.

"You brought this on yourself," he whispered. With a cry, the daggers pulsed and sent a powerful burst of energy into Kuja. Zidane leapt back, pulling them from Kuja's body and backflipping through the air to land on a lower platform. Kuja clutched his chest, floating in the air. Zidane coiled his haunches and leapt, holding his daggers out as they glowed again, forming a pink aura over Zidane as he flew forward. He slammed into Kuja's chest, knocking him back with an explosion of energy. Kuja slammed into a lower ledge as Zidane arced through the air to land nearby, the stone shattering on impact. He fell down, rolling over a slanted roof to land heavily on a balcony below. A few purple and red feathers knocked loose in the impact floated down around them.

"Did we do it?" Bartz asked, coming closer. Zidane turned towards Kuja. Squall looked up through the air as the orbs of energy circling overhead flickered and vanished. Zidane walked closer to Kuja, the defeated genome tilting his eyes up as Zidane came into view over his head.

"Once again, you destroy me, Zidane," Kuja whispered. The red aura over his body faded, purple clothing coming into view as his feathers and fur receded.

"You should know by now to not underestimate me," Zidane replied. Kuja let out a loud laugh.

"Yes, I should…" he agreed. His right hand pushed onto the stone to roll him onto his stomach, red stains beneath him from where Zidane's daggers had sliced into his chest and back. Breathing heavily, Kuja looked down at his hands as dark energy began to emanate from them. Closing his eyes he forced a bitter smile. "So, the hero of our little tragedy emerges victorious once again…and his rival fades into unforgiving shadow…so familiar is this ending, isn't it?"

"It didn't have to be this way," Zidane said.

"Didn't it?" Kuja asked, climbing to his feet as his body began to fade. He stumbled slightly, weakly lifting a hand to brush some blood-matted hair from his eyes. "Alas, that my encore should end prematurely..." Looking over his shoulder, Kuja caught Zidane's eyes, then closed his own. "Well…if I must endure a third curtain call…it is to the only cretin of the lot of you worthy to be the executioner." This time Zidane didn't reply. With a flash of light, Kuja's body vanished into twinkling lights, flittering away and fading into nothingness.

* * *

"Luneth!" Firion yelled, ducking behind a pillar as a string of magical bolts flitted past him. Luneth was running across the carpet, Griever swooping down behind him. A rush of wind came in its wake, sending the boy head over heels to lay on his back. Stopping in the air overhead, Griever roared and descended. Luneth cried out and rolled away as Griever's rear claws slapped into the floor. The lion-like beast turned and roared again, swinging a claw at him. Golbez stepped in front of Luneth and lifted his sword. Griever's claw slammed into it, pushing Golbez back until he nearly fell backwards onto the boy.

"Get him!" Golbez snapped, straining to keep his footing. Luneth jumped over his head and ran up Griever's claw. Griever snarled and tried to slap him away. The best distracted, Golbez ducked under its claw and stabbed his sword into Griever's belly. Rearing up in pain, Griever snapped out a claw to fling Golbez across the room. He hit the ground and rolled several times. As Griever reared up Luneth was thrown off balance, falling and grabbing onto one of Griever's wings. With a triumphant laugh he swung onto its back and jabbed his shorter but no less deadly sword into the monster's flesh, jumping away as Griever moved to find the pest out of its view.

"Golbez," Firion gasped. Picking up his bow from over his shoulder, Firion reached to his back and drew a fist of arrows. Spinning out from behind the pillar he shot one at Ultimecia. The witch vanished, and Firion's eyes darted around. A flash of feathers from a balcony and he turned to fire again as Ultimecia reappeared. The arrow whistled as it narrowly shot past her head. Scowling she waved a hand, a flurry of magic projectiles appearing in the air and firing at Firion. Rolling out of the way, Firion avoided them but they turned to circle back into the air.

"Insolent!" she seethed, leaping into the air. Arms held out, pairs of bolts fired up into the air from her palms and turned to rain down. Firion looked up and reached to his belt. Grabbing his daggers he flung them to the far side of the room where they wrapped around a pillar. Dropping to his back, the reel of cord on his belt began to wind, pulling him across the room. Smoking circles of charred black followed in his wake as the arrows tried to track him and missed. Rising to his feet and unraveling his daggers, Firion ran to Golbez's side as the former mage began to climb to his feet.

"We cannot hold off both of them," he said. "We must eliminate Griever."

"Great idea!" Luneth said, running over as Griever swiped at him. "And what have we been doing before now, playing with it?"

"Golbez!" The three looked up to see a familiar face emerge over a balcony on the other side of the room.

"Cecil?" Golbez asked, standing up. Tidus and Jecht ran in behind him. Griever turned its attention to the intruders and paused as it considered the potential change of opponent.

"Griever, pay them no mind! Focus on the others!" Ultimecia commanded. At the witch's words Griever turned to Firion, Luneth and Golbez and raised a claw. It slammed into the stone over their heads, forcing the three to run as rubble began to come down around them. On the opposite balcony Cecil jumped over the edge, grabbing a tapestry hanging on the wall and sliding to the ground, Jecht and Tidus following suit. A string of magical bolts flashed past them, slicing the tapestry apart and leaving them to fall the last few feet.

"We'll handle the witch!" Jecht shouted, landing on his feet and running forward. Ultimecia chuckled, vanishing in a flurry of feathers as Jecht swung at her. She reappeared behind him and snapped out her hands, twin blasts of energy slamming into his back to send him flying forward.

"Dad!" Tidus gritted his teeth and ran up to Ultimecia. The sorceress vanished and Tidus quickly looked around. She reappeared across the room and held her arms out. A flash of golden light drew Tidus' eyes to his feet, where an eight-pointed star of energy traced out. A column of blue magic pulsed up from it, sending him into the air. Cecil ran over to Golbez, and the brothers looked on as Firion and Luneth dodged Griever's claws.

"I cannot fight without my sword," Golbez said, nodding at Griever's torso where the blade sword was still embedded.

"Then let's go get it!" Cecil said, running into battle. "Firion, Luneth, keep him busy!"

"Easy for you to say!" Luneth snapped, running behind a pillar. The stone crumbled as Griever slashed at him, the balcony it supported creaking and falling. Firion reached to his belt and picked up his axe, throwing it at Griever's horns. One of them shattered, drawing the lion's gaze to him. Cecil leaped up, twirling his sword over his head, and slammed it into Griever's shoulder. Griever growled and lifted its other claw to slam it down on Cecil. He ducked and tilted the sword, bringing its other tip into Griever's palm. Below, Golbez reached up and grabbed his sword, pulling it free. Griever reared into the air, its claws clutching at the gaping wound. Its wings beat furiously, sending a gale across the room. Luneth ran up a pile of rubble and leapt across several balconies to get closer.

"Incoming!" he shouted. With a final jump and a cry, he landed on Griever's neck and slammed his sword into the back of its head. Ultimecia turned at the long moan of pain.

"Griever!" she cried, her eyes wide. Distracted, she was knocked back by Jecht's fist slamming into her stomach. As Griever struggled to stay in the air, Firion drew his bow again and notched three arrows. Flying with the skill of a master archer, the steel headed imbedded in its throat. Griever landed on the ground, wobbled on its legs, then tilted forward. Firion, Cecil and Golbez ran out of the way as the legendary beast was felled, the room shaking with its impact. Luneth grinned and put a foot on the back of its head to pull his sword out.

"The bigger they are," he said, jumping to the floor. Opposite the room, Ultimecia pushed herself off the ground and looked at Griever's body as it began to fade in swirls of black smoke and green light.

"Gri…Griever…" she whispered, standing. She reared to her full height as the assembled six heroes moved to stand together. "This insult will not be tolerated by a Sorceress!" she seethed. She slowly lifted a hand above her head, smiling. "Enough games!" With a snap of her fingers, dozens of magical bolts appeared in the air surrounding her and flitted through the air. The heroes scattered again, the bolts turning and weaving through the air. Golbez cried out as two sliced past his arm, leaving burn marks. Luneth was knocked back as one hit his chest and exploded.

"Your corpses will be preserved as statues in my new castle!" Ultimecia declared, flinging out a hand. A crest of light appeared under Tidus and Jecht, a blast of magic erupting from it. "You will serve as a warning to all who oppose me!" Out of view behind a pillar, closing his eyes as three bolts whistled past his face, Firion reached to his belt. Picking up his staff, the orb on it glowed purple. Stepping into view, Firion held out his arm to hide the staff from view behind the pillar.

"Ultimecia!" he shouted. The witch turned to him and sneered, waving her hand. Several bolts flying past her stopped and turned to fire at Firion. The rebel whirled his hand forward and pressed his palm against the orb of his staff. With a bright red glow, a column of orange light fired from it, orbs of red energy spiraling around it. Ultimecia gasped, stunned as her bolts vanished before the spell's wake. The fiery blast engulfed her, her wings snapping back. Gasping in the blast, she clenched her eyes shut.

"This can't...I…" Ultimecia's final words were buried beneath the explosion of the spell around her, an orb of red energy appearing around her and collapsing. Firion was panting, and he lowered his staff. The smoke cleared to reveal Ultimecia crumpled to the ground, feathers lying singled around her. Dark energy was spiraling into the air from her and vanishing. She weakly lifted her head as the heroes approached. "My…this last…my…time…not yet…" shuddering, she collapsed to the ground, fading away in a sparkle of light.

* * *

A barrier of light surged out of Cloud's sword, protecting him as several orbs of darkness slammed into the ground around him. Swinging the blade to disperse the smoke he leapt up.

"Same old tricks!" he yelled, landing on a blue barrier and jumping again. His slashed at Sephiroth, the swordsman flapping backwards. With a pulse of blast of light energy shot from the top of Cloud's sword, knocking Sephiroth back further. Flying around behind him, Terra held out a hand of send a large shard of ice flying through the air. It struck Sephiroth's back, drawing a grunt from him and pitching him forward. He turned and snapped his hand out. An orange crest appeared in the air, three pillars of flame erupting up from it. Terra weaved through them to safety, and the flames dispersed.

"Irritant," he muttered, eyes watching as Terra swooped back towards Cloud. A snap of his fingers manifested tendrils of darkness around him that swirled towards Cloud. Cloud held out his own hand in response, blasts of lightning shooting in three directions and dispersing them. Sephiroth dove forward, the glowing brightly. Slicing the air faster than Cloud or Terra could see, ribbons of energy sliced forward. A barrier rippled up over Cloud, Terra floating down behind him. Taking a moment to focus, Cloud hefted his sword over his shoulder and swung it out. Six glowing swords of light appeared in front of him and fired forward. Sephiroth was driven back through the air, the swords slamming into his body in rapid succession. Clutching his shoulder as he righted himself, he glared down at the two.

"I tire of these games," he whispered. Vanishing in a flight of feathers, Cloud gasped and leapt out of the way as a pillar of flame appeared from thin air. Falling through the air he turned and lifted his sword to block the Masamune from behind. Almost as quick as he registered the blow Sephiroth was gone again, and Cloud landed on a blue barrier. His senses spiked.

"Terra!" Terra turned and flew back as a blast of darkness fired past her, Sephiroth appearing and slashing at her with the Masamune. Cloud leapt up and he vanished again. The three weaved, jumped and flew through the air. Sephiroth vanished and reappeared in the blink of an eye, steel cutting and blasts of energy exploding from thin air. Terra grimaced as a slash caught her on the upper arm, drawing blood, and Cloud cried out as a slice appeared on his back, but they stayed a split-second ahead of the frenzied assault. Cloud turned to see a flash and swung his sword, but the flash vanished. Caught off-guard by the fake-out, Cloud darted his eyes to the side as Sephiroth lit up to his senses again. A clash of steel filled his ears and he turned his head.

Terra floated behind him, her sword held out glowing with blue energy. The Masamune hummed against it. With a sneer from Sephiroth a pulse of energy shot into the blade, knocking Terra back into Cloud. The two were sent spiraling through the air, a barrier appearing under them to cushion them before they hit the ground. A split second later though a burst of energy shot out from below it, shattering it and sending them flying to opposite sides of the roof. Cloud hit on his back, flipped head over heels and onto his feet, sliding backwards and digging in his heels. He hit a wall and fell to his hands and knees. Terra hit and rolled on her side, wincing as she hit the ruins of a wall. Hovering overhead, Sephiroth looked between the two for a moment.

"Do you see?" he asked, lowering to the ground, his wings brushing the stone as his feet touched down. "At my full potential, going all out, I am without equal. Even as two, you can barely defend yourselves. You're too weak, too pathetic, to be a threat to me."

"Still talking, always talking," Cloud muttered, standing up using his sword as a brace to push himself to his feet. "If you're so invincible, why aren't we dead?"

"I've toyed with you, let my cruelty get the better of me at the cost of my judgment. No more," he snorted.

"Maybe…or maybe you're just not as powerful as you'd like to think," Terra called. "You go all out and hurt us, but we're still standing."

"For now."

Sephiroth leapt into the air, Cloud and Terra following. A swirl of dark energy pushed them back, keeping them distracted as Sephiroth flew higher. Stopping below the dark clouds overhead, he looked up at the swirling vortex over the Chaos Shrine and thrust the Masamune into the air. The blade lit up brightly, Sephiroth's wings extending and spreading in the air.

"Now…" he whispered, his eyes glowing green. "This ends…" Cloud and Terra landed on the roof of the Chaos Shrine, and looked around. The shrine shook, and pieces of rubble and stone began to levitate into the air. Up above, Sephiroth tilted his head back, the clouds flashing and the vortex they met at speeding its turning. A ray of dark light shot out of the Masamune into the vortex. Cloud and Terra stumbled and fell backwards as the shrine's shaking grew stronger, the rubble around them floating up towards Sephiroth. The dark vortex then parted.

A massive orb of yellow and orange flame appeared behind Sephiroth, a ring of white light surrounding it. The rubble was being absorbed into it, the orb growing larger and slowly descending. Sephiroth slowly lowered his head to look down on them, silhouetted against the fire.

"Taste this…your final despair!" he crowed, snapping his arm down to point the Masamune at them. With a flash the orb of fire coiled around itself and shot downwards.

"I don't think we'll be dodging this one," Cloud said, his eyes wide. Terra set her mouth in a line and raised her arms, projecting a barrier over them.

"Get to cover, I'll take the brunt," she ordered.

"You can't endure that kind of power!" Cloud countered.

"Neither can you! If I can protect, you'll still have a chance to finish him!" Terra said. Cloud looked up at the oncoming fire wave and stepped up behind her. His sword swung up in front of her hands, his other hand and both of hers resting on the blade. It lit up in a flash of gold, the light extending into the barrier in ripples of blue and yellow. Terra turned her head to look at him behind her, and Cloud looked down at her.

"Then we'll protect each other!" he shouted. "We've come this far by working together, fighting as one, and we'll see it through the same way!" Terra nodded firmly, and the two looked back up. The fire wave came down, and the two closed their eyes and braced themselves.

The force of impact reverberated through the air with a deafening roar. The entire room was set ablaze, stone superheating and melting in the blast. Flying up ahead, Sephiroth slowly descended, watching the fire. Green eyes darted about looking for signs of movement. A shadow appeared from the flames, and he stilled.

"No…impossible…" he whispered, hand clenching at the air.

Cloud walked out of the flames of Sephiroth's attack, Terra in his arms leaning on his shoulder. Blue eyes staring forward, he stopped, stumbling slightly but remaining standing. Letting go of Terra's legs, he snapped his sword out to the side. A wave of light energy cleared away the remaining flames. The blade then turned forward to point at Sephiroth. Cloud was panting slightly, but his gaze didn't waver.

"That…all you got?"

Sephiroth scowled and dashed forward. Cloud caught the Masamune and slammed his fist into Sephiroth's chin, sending him stumbling back. Terra turned to him and stood up from Cloud.

"You alright?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied, putting a hand to her chest and breathing heavily. Sephiroth was livid, his face and body language barely concealing his rage.

"You embarrass me yet again," he muttered, clenching his hand so tightly his nails dug into his skin.

"You can't win this, Sephiroth," Cloud warned. "It's over."

"You threw your best…and we're still here," Terra nodded. Sephiroth turned his head away, closing his eyes.

"I will not accept this…" he whispered, his hand shaking. "….I _can't_!" He lunged, the Masamune held over his head. Cloud blocked the blow and pushed him back, Sephiroth flying back into the air. Cloud jumped after him, landing on a blue barrier that appeared under his feet to deflect another slash.

"Cloud!" Terra called, flying past. "Like before!"

"What?" Cloud asked, watching Sephiroth shoot a blast of dark smoke at Terra, which she dodged narrowly.

"You said it yourself – we've come this far fighting as one!" she replied. Cloud realized what she meant, and nodded.

"Right!"

"Meaningless babbling!" Sephiroth snarled, his eyes blazing. "You'll _die_ together!" rising into the air, he drew the Masamune back and dove at Cloud. Cloud jumped out of the way and spun his sword over his head, now glowing with golden energy again. Sephiroth halted his descent and looked up at him.

"Sephiroth!" he turned to see three orbs of light slam into his chest, Terra swooping in. With a grunt he was knocked back up into the air, wings hurriedly flapping to regain his bearings. Cloud snapped his sword out behind him, and then flung it out. With a flash the sword separated into its six components, the five auxiliary swords floating up and surrounding Sephiroth. Cloud leapt up, sword overhead and slashed down Sephiroth's back. Below, Terra held up her arms and fired a large fireball. It slammed into Sephiroth's chest and spun him around. Cloud had taken hold of one of the five auxiliary blades, and dashed past him to rake it across his waist. Doubling over, another fireball smacked into Sephiroth's face and pitched him backwards in the air. Cloud dashed back and forth, one by one slashing into Sephiroth's flesh with his swords as Terra bombarded him with fire.

Slashing with the sixth sword, Cloud let go and leapt up, holding his hand over his head. His original sword floated up to his grasp. Terra held out her arms, a field of blue energy appearing over Sephiroth. Gathering energy from the air itself, it collapsed upon him. The five swords surrounding him flashed and snapped up to Cloud, the six swords reassembling themselves.

"Cloud!" Terra called. "End this!" she snapped her hands together as Cloud descended, his sword held back. The blue energy field exploded, consuming Sephiroth in a blast of pure magical energy. In its wake Cloud tore through the smoke and stabbed.

Time seemed to stop as Sephiroth's eyes snapped open, blood streaked over his face. Cloud floated in the air above him, his sword embedded in Sephiroth's chest. Its tip emerged from his back, coated in blood. Leaping back in the air, Cloud charged forward once more. Sephiroth lifted the Masamune to block the attack, and the blades collided with a flash of light. Looking on from below, Terra watched as golden and purple streaks of energy poured off the two. Sephiroth gritted his teeth, and looked down. A white crack had appeared in the Masamune's blade, spreading out from where Cloud's sword was grinding on his own.

"C….Cloud…" Sephiroth gasped out, the Masamune vibrating.

"Farewell," Cloud said coldly. He swung his sword back over his head and cleaved down. With a shockwave of purple and gold energy the Masamune shattered, shards of metal flying through the air. Sephiroth cried out as he was flung back, slamming into a ruined wall and shattering it as he fell over the edge of the Chaos Shrine's roof and out of sight, a trail of black feathers falling to the ground along his path. Cloud descended to the ground, landing in a crouch.

"Think that's it?" Terra asked, approaching him. Cloud climbed to his feet, breathing heavily. There was a metallic clang, and he turned his head to see the tip of the Masamune spinning on the ground, still faintly glowing. Without a word he picked the shard up, the glow dying. It was only a few inches long now, barely long enough to be a dagger, even with a handle. He looked over the roof and saw a few glowing specks that might have been other pieces.

"_That….this is my power…" _he thought, looking back down at the broken blade tip. _"Masamune…Sephiroth…"_

"Cloud! Terra!" The two turned to the entrance to the shrine roof. Cloud dropped the fragment of the Masamune, discreetly kicking it away.

"Squall. Bartz, Zidane," he nodded as they came near. "You look frazzled."

"Eh, we had a bit of a fight. Little bit of fighting, little bit of ass-kicking, we're good now," Zidane shrugged.

"I'd say the same for you two. Trouble?" Squall asked.

"Sephiroth was here again," Terra said. "We dealt with him."

"Good. They're just distractions, buying time for Chaos," Squall advised.

"Speaking of which, we need to find Garland, it's gonna take all the Crystals to get to Chaos, right?" Bartz asked.

"_No,"_ a voice said in Cloud's head. _"As Sephiroth said, the portal opens for the Crystal bearers…"_

"…It doesn't have to be all ten of them. Hikari is gone, so we just need our nine together," Cloud said aloud, repeating the voice's instructions.

"Then we still have to find the others," Zidane said.

_"They approach," _the voice said. _"Be patient."_

_ "You're talkative again. Where were you during the battle?" _Cloud asked.

_"I felt my presence would be a distraction."_

_ "How considerate."_

His newfound advisor didn't respond, and Cloud turned his attention to the group again.

"Does anyone need healing?" Terra asked.

"I think we're okay," Zidane shrugged. "But, well, if your healing hands are available," he wagged his eyebrows slightly. "If Cloud doesn't mind, that is."

"I'll pass, thank you," Terra said, smiling. Cloud didn't show a response to the mention of his name, though Bartz watched for one. A moment later, there was movement from the corner of their eyes and they turned to the other entrance to the roof.

"Hey!" Tidus cried, running forward.

"You're all safe," Terra said, smiling.

"Sure, piece of cake. Kill a giant lion, blast a witch," Luneth shrugged.

"Ultimecia?" Squall asked, eyes widening slightly.

"Yeah. We took care of her," Jecht grinned. "Sorry kid, but it's first come first serve in battle." Squall snorted.

"Whatever. Good thing for her you found her and not me," he muttered.

"We are all assembled now?" Golbez asked.

"Yes," Firion nodded. Golbez lifted a hand and pointed. The group looked where he pointed. A small ramp leading into nothingness was on the far roof of the Chaos Shrine.

"That is the focus point for the Crystals. We must focus our energy there," he said. Cecil reached into his armor and pulled out his Crystal. The other eight followed suit, Terra manifesting hers from her necklace and Cloud pulling out his from his pocket.

Stepping out from the group and approaching the ramp, Cloud's Crystal lit up bright green. Behind him, the other eight also lit up in various colors and floated forward out of the grasp of their holders. Cloud opened his hand and watched his Crystal float forward as well. The eight Crystals floated into formation, forming a circle of eight vertically in the air with Cloud's in the center. Beams of light shot from the eight Crystals to Cloud's, its own green glow fading in their midst. A ray of rainbow light fanned out from Cloud's Crystal, travelling along the ground, up the ramp and up through the air. As it travelled in the air at the end of the ramp, a glowing purple and black portal appeared. Their task done the Crystals floated back to their holders, dropping into their hands.

"This is it," Cloud said, turning around. "Ready?" he asked the group. They nodded and stepped forward. Cloud turned back to the portal and moved to step towards it, then paused. Terra walked past him after the others, but stopped when she noticed Cloud wasn't following them. She turned to him to see his head held low. Ahead, Golbez and Jecht stopped as well. The others had already crossed over.

"Cloud?" Terra called, approaching him.

"Not yet…wait…" he whispered. "I can feel it…he's still alive…" Cloud lifted his head to look at Terra. "He's dying, but he's clinging…" Terra got a knowing look in her eyes.

"It doesn't matter now, right?" Terra replied. "He was just a distraction, now that the portal is open we can deal with Chaos."

"I know, but if this is really it, I have to see it…I have to make sure, that it's the true end," Cloud replied. "Go on, go with the others. I'll join you once I see him."

"Are you sure?" Terra asked.

"Yeah. I just want to be sure he's dead, and I'll be there."

"We'll stay here and make sure the portal is clear," Golbez said behind them.

"But don't take too long," Jecht said, crossing his arms. Terra nodded and turned from Cloud, stepping up to the blue vortex. It rippled like water as she put a hand through it, then stepped through entirely. Turning away, Cloud walked to the edge of the roof, sliding his sword into the harness on his back. Looking over the side he coiled his legs and jumped down, landing on a slanted roof and sliding down. Looking back to make sure he could get back up, he jumped down to the final ledge, slowly rising to his feet.

Several feet away, Sephiroth lay sprawled out on his back. Rubble and stone littered the ground around him, the roof cracked under him to form a small crater from the impact of his landing. Blood and feathers lay on the ground around him, his wings torn to shreds and stained red. His head lay back against the stone, his eyes closed. Blood was streaked down his face and chest, his limbs limp. Cloud stepped towards him, and emerald eyes cracked open. Sephiroth slowly raised his head and managed a small smile, leaning his head back.

"Satisfied at last, Cloud?" he whispered. "Does it please you to see me battered like this at your hands?"

"Actually, not as much as I thought it might," Cloud replied, stopping before him. "After all the times we've fought, seeing you on the brink of death has lost its impact." Sephiroth let out a bitter chuckle. "This is it, you know. You won't be coming back. Ever," Cloud reminded him.

"Perhaps," Sephiroth said. "But you are foolish if you think I accept that result. Death will not claim me without a fight, it never has."

"Try if you like then. Even if you manage to come back, I'll kill you again. As many times as it takes," Cloud vowed. "I've always stopped you before, and I'll continue stopping you until you give up."

"Then you and I are destined to an eternity of conflict, for I shall never give up," Sephiroth said, channeling as much ferocity into his voice as he could. Turning his head to the side, Sephiroth let out a low murmur. "But…if per chance, these are indeed my final breaths, Cloud…I ask you indulge me with a final request."

"Why should I?" Cloud asked.

"A simple favor, from a fallen foe to the 'hero'. Consider it an act of mercy. If I am to die, allow me my dignity." Sephiroth's hand flicked to the side, and Cloud followed it to see what he was gesturing at. The broken handle of the Masamune laid not far away, leaning against the ruins of a broken pillar. Cloud walked towards it and picked it up. Even broken, the shard still stuck in the handle came to a point.

"Grant you your dignity, so you can rise up and stab me with it?" Cloud said suspiciously. Sephiroth snorted.

"I would, had I the strength. But had I the strength to stand and plan a final ambush, I would have taken it myself and waited with it here. So put your mind at ease, there is no trickery here," he replied. Cloud looked back at the blade in his hands and paused, then casually flung the sword away. It hit the roof and clanged loudly, bouncing away, sliding with a metallic screech until it came to the edge of the roof, then fell twirling in the abyss below. Sephiroth turned away. "I am not surprised…I see I did not underestimate you."

"For once. Every time we fought, you underestimated me greatly, and I killed you," Cloud said. Sephiroth closed his eyes.

"Every time but the last…interesting twist of fate, that I at last meet my equal in power on the eve of my demise. I can admit that at last, now…I fought to the fullest extent of my strength and was struck down…you are my better, in the end, Cloud." Sephiroth's wings lit up in a dark glow, and as Cloud watched they dissolved into particles of light. Sephiroth looked down at them and closed his eyes.

"The Lifestream calls once again," he whispered. "I confess I have always wondered what awaits me beyond that final light, the other side of the border between life and death…perhaps your friends shall be there. Or perhaps I go to my own personal purgatory. Either way, I shall face my fate with a high head." Cloud walked back to Sephiroth and knelt down, resting his arm on his knee.

"You do that. And know that if you ever dare to try and find another way to crawl back, I'll put you down again," he whispered back. His wings gone, dark smoke rose from Sephiroth's body, his arms and legs fading away. "Even if I'm an old man when it happens, I'll ever forget, no one will. I'll always remember what you've done, to me and everyone else on the planet. But I'll be content to know that after it all, you were dead and gone."

"Then I too, shall be content, that I may live on as a shadow of fear in the hearts of the peasants…heroes and villains all die in their time, but legends do not, even if they are legends of terror and chaos. Thus I will take that small victory and cherish it in the beyond," Sephiroth said, closing his eyes as his torso vanished. "To be naught but a memory after all…even if an everlasting one…Farewell Cloud…" With a final flash of light, Sephiroth shattered into thousands of small particles of dark light, flying away and flitting through the air for a few seconds before burning out and vanishing. Cloud watched them disperse, closing his eyes and letting out a breath.

_"He's gone…"_ he thought. Something inside him – he wasn't sure if it was some remnant of his Sephiroth cells or due to his new abilities – lightened as the final particle faded. Opening his eyes, Cloud turned to look up at the wall of the Chaos Shrine and began climbing, jumping up the ledges back to the roof.

"How'd it go?" Jecht asked as he came into view.

"He's dead," Cloud replied, heading towards the portal. "Did everyone make it through?"

"Yeah, Firion told us it's a bit hot on the other side but they're safe. They're heading on to Chaos now."

"Right, let's go," Cloud said. He stepped between the two towards the glowing vortex, when a loud sound caused him to spin around. Across the room, the collapsed stairwell shook, and one of the pieces of rubble blocking it began to shift position.

"The Crystelle," Golbez muttered. "They've arrived."

"We've gotta hurry then, if they get through they'll overwhelm us," Cloud said. Jecht looked over at Golbez, who shifted his eyes and Jecht's direction and nodded.

"Yup. Get goin' then kid," Jecht said, moving in front of Cloud. Golbez walked up beside him, reaching over his shoulder to draw his sword.

"What?" Cloud cried.

"We shall hold off the Crystelle as long as we can. You hurry to Chaos and destroy him," Golbez explained.

"No, we're going to fight him together!" Cloud insisted. Golbez looked over his shoulder, his eyes clouded.

"We cannot…the portal will not let us pass," he whispered.

"We tried it, doesn't like us. We're stuck here," Jecht nodded. He looked back at Cloud as well and smiled. "So, let's make the best of it."

"But…" Cloud protested.

"This is the end of our paths, but yours continues on to the God of Discord. Go, do not let all our efforts be in vain!" Golbez urged. The rubble on the stairs shifted again, a large block falling to the ground.

"The longer you stand here talking, the better the chance they'll get to you before you finish the job," Jecht grunted.

"There was never a guarantee of salvation even if we went with you," Golbez said. "We have made our choices!" Cloud looked between them and nodded.

"I'll let them know!" he shouted. "I'll make sure Tidus and Cecil let everyone on your worlds know what you did!" Turning around, Cloud jumped into the portal. It flashed as he vanished into it. The stairwell entrance shook again, another piece of rubble coming out of place. Flashes of color could be seen through the gaps in the rubble now.

"Hey, got any regrets about it all?" Jecht asked, looking up at Golbez.

"Far too many to count," Golbez nodded, tightening his grip on his sword. "But this is not one of them."

"Same here," Jecht grinned, hefting his sword over his shoulder.

The rubble was knocked out of place, and the first Crystelle stepped over the rest to emerge on the roof. Without another world, Golbez and Jecht charged forward into battle.

* * *

Cloud fell a few inches as he emerged from the portal. He looked behind him to see it was gone, and turned back around, his eyes surveying the landscape. The entire area was a field of molten magma, but somehow it was only humid and not as hot as the environment would have indicated. A path of black rock stretched before his feet, leading up to a long black staircase up stone pillar. Glowing orange, red and black spires emerged from the ground stretching into the distance, and meteors rained down from blackened clouds.

"The Edge of Madness," he whispered, starting forward. He walked briskly, looking up the stairs before him. He couldn't see anything up them and so kept going. The path wasn't that long, but it was eerily silent. When he reached the first step Cloud hesitated for only a moment before he began climbing. His footsteps were the only sounds that reached his ears. The sword on his back bumped into his shoulder in a steady rhythm, his feet climbing at a calm pace. His hands tightened slightly, his eyes narrow. As he neared the top he saw the torsos of figures come into view. They had already arrived.

Cloud stepped onto the top of the plateau and walked forward between Terra and Bartz. The other eight Warriors of Cosmos formed a row before the stairs, facing the opposite side of the large black platform they were on. Cloud stepped out in front of the group and forced himself to take slow, steady breaths as he watched the being sitting opposite him.

Chaos' lower hands were flung lazily on the armrests of his throne, his upper hands clasped in front of his chest. A single slender claw slowly tapped against the back of the other hand. His tail hung in the air to the right, twitching randomly. Pupil-less red eyes opened, and though he couldn't tell visually, Cloud knew Chaos was looking at him. The god sat back, wings folding in and upper set of arms. Beside him Garland stood silently, eyes glowing yellow within his helmet. Chaos chuckled darkly.

"_Welcome to my throne…Warriors of Light."_


	39. God in Fire: Warriors of Light vs Chaos

Shards of Memory

**In this chapter we see Garland unmasked, or rather are given a brief description of his appearance under the helmet. His appearance is rooted in a pretty nice piece of fanart of him and the Warrior of Light that shows him with his helmet off. Google search "Warrior of Light Garland" and it'll show up as an image result.**

**Because I don't want to end the chapter with an author's note because its ending is epic, if I may say so myself, heh heh, know this is the second to last chapter! Chapter 40 shall be the finale, followed by an Epilogue.**

Chapter 39

God in Fire – Warriors of Light vs Chaos

"_**At the end of the dream, even chaos tears itself apart…"**_

* * *

"_So, the Warriors of Cosmos at last arrive at my throne…you are the first in some seven cycles to stand before me at my sanctum…" _Chaos said, his voice booming deeply in their minds. _"A curious battle, this cycle has been. I wonder, have all the plans, all the gambits and schemes, come to fruition after all? This cycle has been so unlike any other in many cycles before. So many peons working to end the endless cycle of harmony and discord, light and darkness…did any of them succeed?"_

"Only one way to find out!" called Cloud. "This is it Chaos! It ends here." The god snorted.

_"You are the one called Cloud…Hikari chose his successor well. Your spirit burns brighter than ever with Cosmos' light to bolster its gleam. It sickens me to endure your presence in this realm of shadows. You've been sorely deceived if you think you can end the war this easily. Do you truly believe shattering my Crystal will solve anything?" _Chaos ran a claw along the edge of his amulet, the red stone flashing brightly at his touch. _"You're a fool."_

"The only fools here are you and Garland. You let your servants run free and it got them killed," Firion said. "This cycle was your chance, and you wasted it."

"But you're nuts if you think we're gonna do the same," Tidus nodded. "We're not gonna let our journey be for nothing!"

_"Your hollow boasting falls on deaf ears. You have barely the smallest scraps of information on the true nature of the cycle, yet you presume to be able to influence its course. To one who has transcended time and space to see his plans fulfilled, your vows and threats are not worth the breaths you speak them with."_

"Don't talk down to us like you can scare us off!" Luneth said. "We've come too far to run now, taunting us isn't gonna do a thing."

"Tucking tail and giving up just isn't an option," Zidane nodded. "We've got people counting on us, from all over the universe, and we can't let them down."

"We've faced enemies from across time and space to get here, and we've crushed them all," Squall muttered. "So what if you're a god? You'll fall the same as them."

_"You overreach yourselves. None who have faced me in countless cycles have ever come within reach of vanquishing me. And now you, who number only nine and are led by a novice, think to change that? Hikari was one of the mightiest warriors Cosmos ever called to his side, but he too failed. You truly believe you can do better?"_

"We know about the previous cycles. The difference is plain," Cecil said. "Hikari faced you himself, alone."

"And we're not alone!" Bartz cried. "We've worked together to get here, and we're gonna work together to win it all now."

"We're not just nine. The hopes and spirits of all the other warriors who tried to stop you, they still exist out there, hundreds of them" Terra whispered. "With them at our backs, we can't lose."

"Ignorant as ever. Nothing ever changes. We've heard all these speeches before," Garland laughed. "You're so naïve and arrogant, thinking you are somehow different from the rest, special or destined or some other nonsense."

_"Why should we entertain your delusions, when even Cosmos, a goddess, surrendered to despair in the end?"_ Chaos asked. _"Don't you see? She grew desperate, waiting for a miracle to transcend the war. She sought my ultimate death. Watch now, how the bloodlust of the divine has ensured my dominance, my rule by fear and hatred, for all time. She gave in to hopelessness, allowed herself to die to achieve freedom from the war." _Eyes flashing, Chaos leaned forward slightly.

"_Whatever mercy and compassion she might have offered you is gone from this world. But there is yet a chance for you. Embrace chaos. In the end you now see that it is all that remains. With Cosmos gone this world is broken, the force of the light lost. Swear your fealty to me. Turn your backs on what you once loved. It is all already gone, is it not? And soon the hope to see it returned shall be gone as well, before the final, ultimate destruction. The war of the gods is over. All that remains now is the eternal sorrow of oblivion, of endless chaos. Why fight it, when you can live as my lieutenants? Cosmos could not deny the inevitable nor could she crawl from the abyss of death. Why deign to believe you can do what she could not?"_

"Maybe you're right," Cloud muttered, prompting a few of the others to look at him. "Maybe this is pointless, and the world is going to end no matter what. Maybe fighting you now would just be a waste of our lives. Then so be it. Because we weren't called to serve _you. _You demonstrated with Golbez and Jecht that someone called by a god must do their bidding, even if they don't want to."

_"Nay, with Cosmos dead your bond to her is broken," _Chaos interrupted.

"Doesn't matter. You roped your servants to you from death, and they agreed to serve. It's the same with us, Cosmos summoned us and asked us to fight, and we said yes. That's where the differences came in though, your minions tried to do better than what you promised them and they got each other killed for it. We want the same thing as before, we want our worlds and our friends back. And we aren't going to get them serving you. Maybe the last nine servants you called were stupid enough to swallow those lies, but not us. That's why we beat them before, and why we beat them again now. It might be pointless, but as long as there's a chance that we can still win, it's worth taking, no matter how slim."

_"Hah. Does this so-called 'Champion' speak for you all?" _Chaos looked over the ranks. _"By all means, if any of you wish to recover what you have sought, instead of dying a meaningless death, then step forward." _Without turning to look at the rest, the other eight Warriors of Cosmos didn't move.

"Told you," Cloud snorted. "So…" he reached over his shoulder and brought his sword forward. "You want to taunt us some more, or are we gonna get this over with?" Chaos narrowed his eyes and lifted his hands, using all four to push himself into a standing position.

_"A pity…" _floating into the air, orbs of dark energy appeared in Chaos's hands. _"Very well…allow me to grant a reminder of what happened when last we crossed paths!" _With a snarl, the god of discord flung his arms out, shockwaves of energy rippling out. Their clothing was flung out behind them as the Warriors of Cosmos were almost thrown back, digging in their feet to keep their ground. Cloud grimaced as slicing wind washed over him, like a storm of small blades digging into his skin. Tendrils of dark energy circled through the air, wrapping around the nine warriors.

_"Be engulfed in darkness, for eternity," _Chaos growled. _"Be trapped forever in the endless abyss!" _His head ducked down behind his sword to shield it from the waves of darkness, Cloud clenched his eyes shut and gritted his teeth.

_"I…can't…not like this!" _he thought. _"We can't come this far…to lose like this…"_ Beside him Bartz and Tidus fell to one knee, the force of the energy waves too great for them to remain standing fully. Ripples of blue energy flashed in front of Terra as she tried and failed repeatedly to erect a protective barrier. Zidane tried to take a step forward and stumbled, slamming his daggers into the ground to hold on as he fell on his stomach. Cloud opened his eyes slightly and saw the edge of the platform under his feet, the waves almost pushing him back to the stairs. He looked forward at Chaos. _"No…"_

_"Cloud!"_

Cloud gasped as a familiar voice sounded in his head. Not the voice he had heard in the Chaos Shrine, or Sephiroth's voice. This voice…

_"Hikari…"_

A bright green glow lit up in the corner of Cloud's eye, and he tilted his head down to see it coming from the pouch on his waist. Appearing in front of his face in a flash, Cloud's Crystal was shining brightly. He slowly reached up and took hold of it.

Shining green beams of light burst out of Cloud's fist, tearing through the darkness surrounding them. Cloud stood and held up his Crystal, rays of green light spreading out. The other eight Warriors of Cosmos looked down as one by one their Crystals floated up in front of them, each glowing a different color. Before them Chaos snarled.

_"No!" _he brought all four arms forward and fired a blast of energy at Cloud. Cloud looked up and swung his sword. A beam of light cut through the blast and slammed into Chaos. The god stared at Cloud, enraged, as the swordsman held his sword over his head, the blade blinding in its light. Garland lifted a hand to shield his eyes.

"This light…" he groaned.

"Not yet," Cloud whispered, eyes bright, twinkles of light falling in the wake of his blade as he drew it back. "We won't go down that easily!"

Firion watched as his Crystal shattered before his eyes, pink particles of energy swirling around him. Watching them flow up his arms, his weapons lit up in a blood red hue.

Onion Knight's Crystal turned into aquamarine light particles and encircled him. His armor lit up, getting slimmer and streamlined. A second sword with a red blade appeared in his left hand, and cloth cowl wrapping around his lower face.

Cecil's armor lit up in dark blue light, his Crystal dispersing and flowing into him. His sword shortened, the blade turning red. Gold runes appeared along its length.

Bartz held out his hand as his Crystal turned into purple light. A red orb appeared in his hand, flashing and extending into a long sword.

Terra brought her hands to her chest as her Crystal vanished in a shower of red sparkles and washed over her, her magic welling up and shifting her into her Esper form.

Squall's Crystal dissolved into silver light. He held his gunblade up, the blade flashing as the silver light surrounded it and turning bright blue, the handle shifting into the form of a lion's head.

Zidane's Crystal burst in a spray of yellow light. His skin lit up bright pink, tuffs of pink and red fur growing from the stitches in his clothing and consuming him.

Tidus's Crystal shattered, blue light raining down on him. The Brotherhood glowed brightly, the blade lengthening and turning dark blue.

_"This power…Cosmos…" _Chaos roared, his eyes glowing bright. _"This makes NO difference! I am the God of Discord! I have transcended time and space to wage my war, and now you think to destroy me with this feeble light? I shall erase it, it and you all in one swoop! You are NOTHING! Hollow beings, mindless peons trapped by a cycle of fate decreed by the gods! You can change nothing, you shall accomplish naught but your own miserable deaths!"_ From the center of the group, the eight of them awash in the colors of their Crystals, a green light lit up. A bright green aura appeared over Cloud, his head held low. His sword also glowed green for a moment, then lightened into pure white.

"Threaten us all you want, if you could actually do it then you'd have done it now." Cloud growled, his eyes hidden by his hair. "Your empty words don't change anything. Maybe we all are trapped. By fate, cycles, karma, gods, whatever. We'll break through them all! The dreams and hopes of warriors stretching back centuries, all focused on ending this, and now we'll see those dreams fulfilled." Cloud lifted his eyes, his eyes blazing. "Even if the universe itself stands in our way, we'll keep fighting. We'll pay our debt to destiny in our own blood, to defy it and cut a new path with our own hands. So what if you've transcended time and space? It doesn't matter, because now, _we've _transcended _you!"_ Cloud raised his sword over his head, the blade's white light fading to reveal a new weapon. Glowing white and blue with a golden handle, Cloud swung it once and leveled it to point up at Chaos.

"NOW!" he roared. "Let's _finish _this, Chaos!"

Nearly shaking in rage, the god roared and plummeted to the ground, the platform rumbling as he hit. He stood up, rearing to full his height, and spread his arms.

_"Yes…let's…"_

Cloud swung the Ultima Weapon over his shoulder and ran forward. With a snarl Garland leapt in front of Chaos, sword coming forward. Cloud leapt up to dodge as the blade shot out on a chain, pushed off Garland's shoulders and cleaved down at Chaos. The god dodged to the side, tail lashing out into Cloud's chest and knocking him backwards. The swordsmen landed where he had begun, lain out on his back.

The first blow struck, the other eight charged.

Luneth leapt over Garland's sword as the knight pulled it back, flailing it through the air on its chain. Firion dodged a swing aimed at him and drew his sword and axe from his belt. He swung and had two massive claws wrap around his wrists, Chaos intercepting him and tossing him over his head. Squall ran in, the Lionheart scrapping the ground and sliced upwards. Chaos's lower set of arms delivered a powerful punch, sending him sprawling to the side. Zidane leapt on top of Garland's shoulders, daggers raised and legs locked around his helmet. With an angry snarl Garland grabbed his tail and flung him to the side, slamming him into Tidus's chest and sending the two away. Terra held out her hand and snapped it forward, sending a burst of flame along the ground. Chaos looked down and held out a hand, a large fireball knocking her onto her back and dispersing her own smaller flame.

Cloud climbed to his feet, watching his comrades engaged in battle only feet away. Chaos's four arms seemed to move of their own accord even when the god couldn't see his attackers, his arms blocking swords and swiping the attacker away in the same sweep. His tail flicked about behind him, batting away anyone who tried to sneak up on him.

Grabbing the Ultima Weapon's handle, Cloud ran back in. With a cry he swung towards Garland, the knight holding his sword out to block a strike from Cecil. Without missing a beat Garland grabbed a handle on the edge of the sword and swung out his hand, a smaller blade detaching from the sword and blocking Cloud's strike. Garland spun, sending Cloud and Cecil aside and blocking two strikes from behind from Bartz and Tidus. He swung, knocking them away and lashed out his sword on its chain. Cloud rolled to the side as the massive weapon slammed into the ground where he had been.

Chaos hunched down and slammed a fist into the ground. A plume of fire shot forward, Terra flying up to get out of the way. Spinning around the god knocked aside Zidane and Squall, and then flipped into the air. Another fire wave launched towards them. Firion leapt in front of them and raised his arms, a blue barrier flashing into place as his shield glowed. The fire exploded on impact, causing him to stumble back. Terra held up her hands and conjured a large shard of ice, firing it at Chaos. The god turned and held up his own hand, a large fireball melting the shard in an instant and exploding in Terra's face. She landed next to Cloud as the warrior stood from Garland's assault.

"They're strong…nine against two and we're losing," she muttered, taking a moment to catch her breath.

"We knew this wouldn't be easy," Cloud replied, "but you're right in that we have numbers."

"They're not helping much," Terra said.

"Not yet," Cloud said. The two ran back in, Cloud jumping over Chaos's tail as the god spun to avoid Squall's Lionheart slicing at his arms. Cloud landed and ducked, Chaos swinging a claw at him, and held up a hand. A blast of lightning fired from his palm, point-blank at the god's face. Chaos shrieked, stunned, and Cloud seized the chance. He stood and slammed the Ultima Weapon into Chaos's arm, a band of light in its wake. Swinging it free, Cloud watched as Chaos's arm was severed and fell to the ground.

"Chaos!" Garland cried, seeing the incident. The fight stilled as he and the others registered what they had seen. Chaos stumbled slightly, clutching his stump of an arm with one of his other three.

"One down," Cloud said, smirking. Chaos stood up and let go of his arm. The claw lying on the ground glowed red and vanished. The bloody stump of Chaos's arm glowed red, and the claw regenerated, the light fading as Chaos flexed it.

_"An amusing trick," _he snorted. _"But sneak attacks only work once."_ Cloud watched the regeneration and tried to hide his shock. Instead he charged Chaos again. The god grabbed his wrist, twisted him around and threw him aside. Cloud landed heavily and lifted his head to see the other Warriors of Cosmos leaping into battle again.

"Work together!" he shouted, standing.

Garland lashed his sword out on its chain, Squall dodging it. With a shout Luneth jumped at him and latched onto his arm, Garland stilling as he began to move to haul his sword back.

"Get off me!" he roared, swinging his arm back, pulling his sword in. Luneth held on, and Garland brought his other arm over. Luneth let go and rolled away as Garland's gauntlet slapped on his upper arm. Distracted, Garland turned his head to see Tidus diving at him, the Caladbolg held over his head. He slammed it down into Garland's shoulder. The knight grunted as the metal bent but didn't give. Tidus landed, the Caladbolg still stuck in Garland's shoulder, and tried to pull it free. Garland glared at him, but then suddenly pitched forward. Zidane had barreled into him from behind, planting both feet between his shoulder blades and kicking Garland down to his knees. Bartz stabbed the Brave Blade through Garland's cape, the tip of the sword piercing his armor and tearing his cape. Garland growled as the sword pierced his skin.

"Pests!" he snarled, suddenly spinning around, whirling his sword about. Tidus and Bartz were sent flying back, Zidane, Luneth and an approaching Cloud ducking or jumping as Garland's blade swung. Garland reached to the sword, pulling its secondary blade free and slammed the larger into the ground. It shot forward on its chain, bouncing along the ground and narrowly missing Tidus. Cloud ran towards him, jumping as the blade's chain began to retract, and cleaved the Ultima Weapon up. Garland pulled back, the blade catching the right horn of his helmet. His helmet tore, the metal flying away. Medium-length grey-white hair blew out in the hole Cloud had made, a bright green eye with a yellow glow glaring at him. He swung his sword and Cloud jumped back. Above Terra swooped down and flung her arms out, two fireballs launching at Garland. He jumped over them swung out his sword on its chain, sending several diving for cover.

Chaos's tail swung to knock away Firion, then turned forward. Cloud had turned his attention from Garland and was coming for the god. Chaos lifted his hands, four streams of flame converging and forming a large orb. Cloud slammed his sword into the ground, a wave of light shooting out. Chaos fired his own attack, and the light wave cut through it and slammed into the god's chest. Chaos staggered, and arched forward. Firion and Cecil had slammed their swords into his back. Hunching forward Chaos spun to attack them, but they had already gotten away in time. He turned back to catch the Ultima Weapon in his claws, wisps of dark energy washing off him.

"_Insolent!" _the god pushed him back, bringing his other claws down. Cloud watched their tips pass before his eyes, barely missing him. Chaos turned with the moment, slamming his tail into Cloud's chest. Cloud went down heavily. Chaos looked to the side and pulled back, Firion's axe flying by his head. Bartz jumped up, catching it in midair, and brought it and the Brave Blade down on Chaos's tail. The god twisted to attack him and was once again on the receiving end of Cecil's sword in his back. He flipped into the air, sending Cecil spinning away.

"_This accomplishes nothing!" _Chaos snarled, turning as Squall charged at him and evading his slash, then grabbing him and tossing him back. _"I am invincible!"_

"_He's right…" _Cloud thought. _"This isn't working, even with the light…" _He looked around, and narrowed his eyes as an idea came to him.

Garland swung down at Luneth, the younger warrior rolling between his legs. Garland looked back up to see Zidane land on his shoulders and kick off, sending him stumbling back. Tidus slashed at his back, cleaving apart his cape and denting his armor. Garland spun to attack, and a blast of energy from Terra's palms slammed into his head. The knight recoiled, the remains of his helmet falling at his feet. Green eyes glaring from between grey-silver bangs, he reached over his shoulder and tore his shredded cape loose, flinging it away and raising his sword over his head. Terra deflected his strike with a barrier, jumping away when Garland detached his auxiliary sword and swung it from the side. Tidus caught the blow and backflipped to kick Garland's exposed face, the auxiliary sword spinning away from his grasp. He felt metal on his neck and turned his head to see Zidane on his back, his daggers at Garland's throat.

"Chaos!" Garland yelled, turning his eyes to the god. Chaos turned towards him, a fatal mistake. Cloud skidded from the side, dodging his claw strike, and sliced the Ultima Weapon along his chest, the blade pulsing with energy. Chaos doubled over and clutched his chest, a glowing wound. His eyes flashed, tendrils of flame escaping his mouth. Looking back up at Zidane, Garland grabbed the distracted thief, flung him aside and spun around to hurl his sword at Cloud. A flashing blue barrier rippled around Cloud, deflecting the sword to the side. Cloud and Squall reached down to grab the chain, and pulled. Garland was pulled off balance, and swept off his feet as Tidus and Bartz dove at his knees, their swords slamming into his armor. Garland landed on his back, his grip on his sword loose. Cloud pulled the handle away from him and turned to Chaos, shaking slightly.

"It's over, Chaos," he whispered.

"_No…I will not!" _Chaos lunged at Cloud, and Cloud rolled away. His hang flung the handle of Garland's sword up, and Terra caught it in the air and flew behind Chaos. The god stopped and turned to see Squall hurling the blade of the sword to Cecil, while Terra had hold of the handle and was flying around to Zidane and Firion. The loose length of chain around his chest tightened, two of his arms snapping to his side. Garland turned onto his stomach and got on his hands and knees. Luneth jumped on him, knocking him back down. Garland began to rise again when the tip of the Lionheart was thrust into his field of view, Squall standing before him.

"My lord!" Garland roared. Chaos struggled, his arms flexing outwards. Bartz and Tidus helped Cecil hold onto the blade while Zidane and Firion held the handle, keeping the god's limbs pinned. The two groups circled around him, wrapping him tighter.

"Terra!" Cloud called, looking up at her.

"Yes?" she replied, floating down beside him. Cloud nodded at Chaos.

"Fire at his chest, all the flame you've got," he ordered. Terra held up her hands and did as told, a blast of fire shooting at Chaos. The lengths of chain binding him heated and melted together, forming solid metal.

"Alright, let's finish this," Cloud muttered. "Throw it in!" he shouted, nodding at the lava beyond Chaos's throne. The blade of Garland's sword was hurtled through the air, hitting the edge of the platform and skidding down the side. Chaos stumbled forward, losing his footing and spinning on the ground to slam into his throne, pinning against the back. Garland looked to the side and rolled away, tossing Luneth off him and grabbing his forgotten auxiliary sword. He pushed Squall aside before he could react and charged Cloud.

"This will not come to pass!" he roared, swinging at Cloud's head. Cloud ducked and dodged his first two strikes, the Ultima Weapon catching the third.

"Too _late!_" Cloud snapped back. A blast of lightning from his free hand shot into Garland's shoulder, electrifying his armor and stunning him. Two glowing white slashes appeared on his armor as Cloud struck twice, the metal bending under the force. Twisting his arm, Cloud knelt down and focused his energy into the blade.

With a final swing, Cloud cleaved the air upwards and sent Garland flying backwards, the knight slamming into Chaos's chest. The black stone of Chaos's throne shattered, and the two were knocked back into the air for a moment, and then descended to fall into the lava beyond. Cloud ran up to stand on the ruins of the throne and watched. A few bits of foreign matter floated on the surface, and after a moment Cloud recognized them as Garland's partially melted sword, the rest of his body already sunken in with a plume of flame nearby from where the more flammable pieces of his outfit had caught fire. Chaos, however had vanished, a slight ripple in the lava betraying his point of impact. Cloud watched with disbelief for a moment, then slumped to the ground. Behind him the other eight approached, Terra kneeling down behind him.

"Cloud?"

"We…we did it…" Cloud whispered. _"We did…I did it…"_

"DAMN RIGHT WE DID!" Tidus cheered, jumping into the air. "We kick ass!" Laughter and words of celebration filled the air. Terra looked back at them, then at Cloud. He wasn't joining in.

"What is it?" Terra asked. Cloud stood up and turned from her, walking towards the steps. "Cloud!"

"Something's wrong," Cloud said loudly.

"Huh?" Bartz muttered.

"We beat Chaos…so what happens now?" Cloud explained, turning back to them. The Warriors of Cosmos collectively thought, a few glances being tossed around.

"Uh…good question," Zidane admitted, scarring his neck.

"Return to Order's Sanctuary?" Cecil suggested. "Perhaps we need to return our Crystals."

"Yeah…must be it," Cloud nodded. "Right, gonna be hard to go back with all those Crystelle, let's-"

_"Feeble, foolish mortals."_

The ground shook, sending the group stumbling and falling. Cloud's eyes went wide.

"Chaos."

_"I concede, you have done better than I'd have ever dared believe," _the god's voice growled. _"To dispatch my right-hand Garland is a victory none have ever tasted before you…but the time of your victory is over. I am not easily roused to anger, but your insolence has succeeded in precisely that. In my mercy I was to make your deaths sporting, but now, no more…" _a dark chuckle filled their heads.

_"Now…shiver, at the power of a god."_

The platform shook again, and Cloud paled as he saw the source over the heads of the other warriors.

A massive claw was gripping the edge.

The Warriors of Cosmos crawled away and to their feet. At the edge of the platform, the claw tightened its grip, magma dripping off its tips. Then, the owner rose into view beyond it. Covered in glowing orange and red, a massive red orb set into his chest beating like a heart. Eyes glowing bright yellow, fangs and horns large and grotesque. Wings torn and burnt, spreading out with enough span to engulf them all. Chaos pushed himself to his full height, lava dripping down his body, and held out his arms. He tilted his head down to look at the Warriors of Cosmos.

_"Now...the Alpha and the Omega…discord's beginning and harmony's end…" _Chaos roared loudly, the force shaking the air violently. _"Taste my ultimate POWER!" _reaching out a hand, Chaos grabbed one of the many black and orange spires emerging from the ground and pulled. The spire was lifted into the air, revealing itself as a massive sword. With a snarl Chaos swung it over his head and brought it down. The Warriors of Cosmos dove aside as it slammed into the platform, rocks flying in its wake. Chaos grabbed a second sword and lifted it up, thrusting it forward. Waves of fire burst from the tip. Terra and Firion raised their hands, magical barriers rising over them. They were shattered by the force and the group was knocked onto their backs.

_"You will know ultimate despair…complete and absolute chaos!" _The enraged god seethed. His massive sword swung again, and the Warriors of Cosmos flattened themselves to the ground as it passed overhead. The second sword swung, shaking the ground as it hit the side of the platform.

"What now?" Zidane yelled.

"We can't fight something so powerful…and so big!" Cecil said. Chaos stood up straight and extended his wings. A single flap sent gusts of wind tearing across the area. Cloud's hair whipped across his eyes as the warriors braced themselves, and he felt his grip on the ground and his sword begin to give.

_"No…not yet…" _ he grunted, trying to crawl forward. _"Somehow…we have to keep…"_ his strength gave out and Cloud stopped moving, focusing his energy on keeping the Ultima Weapon in his hand. He closed his eyes as he saw Chaos bring both his swords up into the air. _"Hikari…we can't…"_

_"Giving up already?"_

* * *

The heat and wind vanished, and Cloud heard nothing but silence. He opened his eyes and pushed himself to his feet, looking around.

_"I thought you were stronger than that."_

Alone in a white void of space, Cloud turned to see Hikari standing behind him, arms crossed.

"Hikari…" he whispered.

_"I gave you my light because I felt you were the strongest of my nine comrades." _Hikari's voice filled his head, but the knight's lips stayed still. _"Well?"_

"We can't…I thought we'd done it, but he's stronger than ever…" Cloud whispered.

_"What a wimp." _Cloud turned to see a woman in a military uniform walking up to him from the side, pink hair trailing down the front. _"Out of all the idiots in the world, you choose this one. Smooth, Hikari," _she snorted, stopping beside him. Like Hikari, the woman's mouth didn't move as her voice sounded.

_"I gave you the power of the light, so that you might use it to destroy Chaos," _Hikari said.

"A bit hard when he's ten stories tall," Cloud said.

_"So? You've taken out monsters bigger than that, haven't you?" _the woman snapped.

_"Gods don't get that title by being easy to slay." _Cloud turned his head in the other direction to see a young warrior in a blue and brown uniform approach, long blond hair tied in a ponytail. _"But heroes get their titles by doing it," _he finished.

_"The light you bear within you has been held within each of us for ten cycles already," _Hikari said, the three former Champions surrounding Cloud. _"We carried it down through the generations of warriors in the hope it would destroy Chaos. Now that Cosmos is gone, there will be no other chance."_

"I know…but I can't…" Cloud protested.

_"Maybe. But you won't be doing it alone," _the woman said.

_"This is our final duty to the Goddess of Harmony," _the male warrior said. Cloud noticed shadows appearing in the distance and turned. All around him, figures began to walk towards them. There had to be dozens, male and female, young and old, some not even human, all manner of weaponry and clothing adorning their bodies.

_"We now, the generations of Champions, are dead. Long have our spirits toiled in the Void," _Hikari whispered. _"We have known not death as part of our servitude, but with our tenth cycles our spirits grew too weak to bear the goddess's light, and so we passed it on. Now, we offer our final power, for this final strike." _Hikari held out his hand as Cloud finished surveying the field of fallen Champions around them. The woman and the warrior put a hand on Hikari's shoulder, their bodies lighting up in a golden aura. Around them hands were held out to those in front, bodies glowing the same light.

_"Cloud. Receive the final light left in all of us. Channel the power of the Crystals to bind Chaos, and deliver him his death with our power. End it!" _Hikari shouted. Cloud nodded and held out his hand, clasping it around Hikari's. The field of warriors vanished in gold light one by one, their power flowing into Cloud. He closed his eyes as new energy surged into him. Hikari, the woman and the warrior vanished last, Hikari smiling.

_"Good luck…"_

* * *

Cloud opened his eyes and found himself still standing. He looked around to see his comrades still bracing themselves, and then looked forward. Chaos's winds still whipped over them, but he felt nothing. Holding up a hand to confirm he felt no wind passing, Cloud steeled himself.

"That won't work anymore," he whispered. He lifted his sword and brought it down. A barrier of light energy rippled over the platform, the winds dying down.

_"What!" _Chaos cried. The Warriors of Cosmos stood, Cloud stepping to the edge of the platform.

"No more," he said, the Ultima Weapon vanishing from his grasp. With a flash of green the Crystal reappeared in front of him, and he took it. "Everyone!" he called, turning. "The Crystals gave us their power. Now, give your power to them!"

_"I've heard enough nonsense!" _Chaos snarled, his swords cleaving towards them. The barrier flashed yellow, deflecting them. Behind Cloud, the assorted warriors and their weapons shifted back to their normal forms, their Crystals appearing in front of them. A ray of pink light shot out of Firion's Crystal, piercing the barrier protecting them and wrapping around Chaos's upper-left arm. Two more beams came from Bartz's and Zidane's, binding his opposite two arms.

_"NO!"_ Chaos tried to pull away. _"This…light…" _Whatever further protests or taunts he attempted to voice were lost in a snarl of rage and pain. Rays of light came from Luneth's and Tidus's Crystals, binding Chaos's waist and chest. Terra's Crystal shot a beam to bind his final arm. Cecil's and Squall's Crystals wrapped around his horns, holding his head in place. Struggling and trying to pull away, Chaos stumbled forward a step, one of his swords stabbing the side of the platform and breaking off. The other imbedded itself in the lava again, Chaos letting go of it to pull back, thrashing as best he could.

The Warriors of Cosmos closed their eyes, and the intensity of the binding increased as they poured their energy into their Crystals. Chaos fell to his knees, clutching at his neck. With a pulse of energy, the binding finalized, the god frozen in place.

_"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" _

Cloud looked down at his hand and concentrated. With a flash of light, the Buster Sword appeared, light gleaming along its edge. He looked at his other hand and lifted his Crystal, the orb glowing green.

"_Ready?"_

Cloud gasped as another voice filled his head. Not Hikari's, or Chaos's, or the mysterious voice who had recently guided him. But it was still familiar…a woman…his gaze still on his Crystal, Cloud watched as it slowly shrank in size, getting just small enough to fit…

"_Let's go. Cloud,"_ the voice whispered. Cloud looked up at Chaos and nodded. With a cry he swung the Buster Sword twice over his head, then brought it forward and slammed his hand into the blade near the base. The Crystal slipped into one of the Materia slots there, and the wisps of green energy burst around the blade. Cloud swung the sword behind him and ran forward, running off the edge of the platform and onto the blade of Chaos's broken sword emerging from the side.

"Come on Cloud," Firion said, watching him run.

"End it for all of us!" Luneth called.

"For Cosmos," Cecil nodded.

"And everyone back home!" Bartz added.

"For the people and friends we love," Terra whispered.

"To end this cycle," Squall muttered.

"You can do it!" Zidane cheered.

"Finish it!" Tidus said.

Cloud reached the end of the sword's broken blade and leapt. His clothing fluttered in the air as he sailed through the air and landed on the handle of Chaos's second sword, kneeling to catch his balance and then rising to his feet. Chaos's eyes blazed red, the red Crystal of Darkness around his neck throbbing. Cloud raised the Buster Sword over his head, and coiled his legs.

"_FOOL!" _Chaos's silence broke, and Cloud hesitated. _"This means NOTHING. I have never fallen, not in hundreds, thousands of cycles, eons have come and gone in the blink of my eye, and all who have challenged me have failed! __**YOU ARE NO DIFFERENT! YOU CANNOT DESTROY ME!"**_ the god seethed. Cloud narrowed his eyes and snorted.

"Wanna bet?"

Jumping up, Cloud spun the Buster Sword over his head and descended, stabbing the Buster Sword down. The tip of the sword met the Crystal of Darkness, and a barrier of dark energy rippled over it. Cloud gritted his teeth, the aura of green light over his weapon growing brighter. The darkness shook, wavered, and vanished. Cloud's sword stabbed into the Crystal. It cracked apart, red light shining up from the cracks. Chaos roared, his body glowing the same red light. The ground around them shook, the wind picked up. The Crystal of Darkness's red light flashed deeper, then vanished.

With an explosion of dark energy, the Crystal shattered, the fragments spinning through the air. Cloud was blown back with the force. Before him, Chaos's roars grew louder, red light shining from cracks appearing over his skin.

"CLOUD!" Terra leapt over the edge of the platform and flew towards him as he fell through the air. He turned to see her approach and held out his hand. Terra stretched out her own as she neared, and their fingertips barely grazed. A blue barrier began to manifest below Cloud, but he fell too quick and fell through it before it could fully materialize. Turning his head to look down at the lava rushing up at him, Cloud closed his eyes.

"_Cloud!"_

Cloud wasn't sure who or what called his name. All he was sure of, before he lost consciousness, was that he hit a solid surface.

* * *

Cloud slowly cracked open his eyes.

"Am I dead?" he muttered.

"_Far from it," _a voice whispered. Cloud recognized it as his 'mentor', and groaned, opening his eyes fully. When he saw where he was, he stood up.

Cloud and the other eight Warriors of Cosmos, unconscious and their Crystals in their hands, were on a floating platform of dark blue, slightly transparent crystal. Vines and branches seemed to grow out of its undersides. Around them, a vast void of dark blue and purple space, what appeared to be stars in the distance. In the void of space were bubbles, some glowing light blue, others dark purple, all of them floating in place. Cloud looked around his comrades.

"Everyone," he said urgently. "Get up! Come on!" kneeling to shake Cecil's shoulder and then Terra's, they began to respond. Slowly, the warriors woke up and stood.

"Um…whoa?" Tidus muttered, tilting his head back to look up.

"What happened to Chaos?" Cecil asked.

"_The God of Discord…you have vanquished him," _the voice said. _"Chaos is dead. His Crystal of Darkness shattered. You have done well, Warriors."_

"Why doesn't that make me feel better?" Zidane said nervously.

"Look!" Terra pointed to one of the bubbles floating nearby and ran to the edge of the crystal platform. Cloud followed her and looked at the bubble. Though the view was distorted and shifting by the bubble's surface and its blue light, a woman was inside, curled up and eyes closed. A long flowing white cape was wrapped around her, hints of green and purple armor showing underneath.

"Celes…" Terra whispered. "She's from my world…but…what's she doing here?"

"Seifer!" The two turned to see Squall kneeling on another part of the platform. A darker purple bubble below contained the image of a young man in a grey coat, a gunblade clutched in his hand. Like Celes, he was curled up and had his eyes closed. "My…from my world," Squall said, staring down.

"Kain," Cecil stared in the distance where the familiar purple and blue armor of his closest friend and rival was barely visible from within a blue bubble.

"Anyone else seeing people they recognize?" Cloud asked, watching a bubble with a boy in blue armor float past him.

"Yes," Firion nodded.

"Me too!" Bartz said.

"_Do not fear, they are at peace. They are in slumber. Those you see around you are the spirits of…shall we say, for lack of a better word, 'spares'."_ The voice explained.

"Spares?" Luneth asked. "Spare what?"

"_You are Warriors of Light, chosen by the goddess of harmony to become Warriors of Cosmos, much as your chosen enemies were Warriors of Darkness chosen by Chaos. These beings are others who contain the same capacity for light as you, or in some cases, the same capacity for darkness as your enemies. In another time, another cycle, they might have been called to serve the gods in your places, or perhaps as your enemies instead of those chosen this time."_

"Then who are you?" Terra called.

"_I am their guardian and protector. I watch over their spirits, and this place. You now stand in the deepest depths of the Void. My home."_

"The Void…" Cloud whispered. He had his suspicions then, and a feeling of dread crept into his heart. But he had to confirm it. "Show yourself!" he ordered. There was a slight rumble around them, as though the voice was agitated and the Void was reflecting its emotions. But when it spoke next, it was neutral as before.

"_As you wish. Only Garland and the gods have looked upon me before. You warriors who have ended the cycle have earned the same privilege, I suppose."_

The nine looked around for a sign the speaker was going to do as he said and appear before them. Cloud sensed a tingle of energy, and turned to see the being rise up from below.

It was massive, dwarfing even the transformed Chaos they had just defeated. An aura of rainbow light surrounded its body, which was formed from white crystal that moved and pulsed as though living skin. Its wings were large enough to engulf cities in their shadows, their linings made of gold crystal. Its tail went on as far as the eye could see, spiraling into nothingness. Long red hair ran up its claws and the back of its wings to its head. The same head tilted down to bring its four yellow eyes into Cloud's view, the eyes all staring at him.

Cloud couldn't know, but he did. Whatever small doubts he had before were erased, replaced only with absolute certainty that he knew exactly what the creature before him was.

"Shinryu."


	40. Shinryu

**As a general note, with the story now complete I've begun revising the earlier chapters. Nothing too critical, just cleaning up some sentence structure, reworking some dialogue and descriptions, etc. Same basic story, just prettying up the writing style a bit. It'll be done over time, it'll take some work since there's a lot of content to look over, but it'll be done.**

Shards of Memory

Chapter 40

Shinryu

"_**The roiling skies let loose a vile beast without a soul…"**_

* * *

The sense of power rolling off the beast before and below them was beyond anything Terra had ever sensed before. Chaos, Cosmos, the Warring Triad, all paled in comparison. The aura Terra saw over its body was blinding, and she looked away as the dragon turned its four eyes on her. The radiance dimmed then, and the air reverberated, Shinryu's body shaking slightly in time with them. It took Terra a moment to figure out what the reverberations meant.

The divine dragon Shinryu…was laughing.

_"Do I frighten you?"_

Terra cautiously reached out her powers, and touched Shinryu's aura. The dragon instantly sensed her, but she wasn't repelled, rather the dragon opened its mind to her and gave her the answers she sought. Terra pulled back, learning more than she wanted to know. But she could have guessed as much. Shinryu was ancient beyond human comprehension, and was as powerful as it was old. It didn't fear her anymore than Terra would have feared an ant. It had no hesitations of letting her know, if it wished to do so, just how easily it could kill them all without any resistance. And it let her know it had no such desire, but would be willing all the same.

"Yes," Terra whispered, causing Cloud to turn to her. "You frighten me." The thoughts that came from Shinryu were unified in their amusement. It didn't help alleviate her worries.

_"I have spoken to mortals throughout the worlds in the past, and made myself known to them through avatars of my flesh. Though none have seen my true visage, the mention of my name was enough to inspire terror in them. It is human nature, to fear what cannot be understood, so it comes as no surprise that you fear my power, beyond your comprehension as it is. Cosmos and Chaos seem as gods to you, but their power is only a fraction compared to mine." _Cloud stepped forward and looked up.

"Shinryu. We were told you were the one responsible for the cycles of war between Cosmos and Chaos." Terra realized what he meant. Gabranth's words. It seemed years ago the two of them had faced the Judge Magister and he warned them of Shinryu's coming. "Are you?" Cloud asked.

_"Yes."_

"Then why?" Cloud asked, growing angry. "You trap all of us in a cycle of war we can't win? That endangers our worlds and revives our enemies? For what? Why are you doing this!" Cloud's last words hung in the air as he outright shouted at the divine dragon. Shinryu stared at him for a moment, and then lifted its head to look over them.

_ "That is why. Behold, the only power I have encountered in all existence that could compare to mine."_

The Warriors of Cosmos turned to see what the dragon was looking at.

In the distance within the Void, a bubble hovered in the air. But it was different from the bubbles that contained the other spirits. They glowed blue or purple, but this bubble had no color at all. Within the bubble lay what was clearly a machine. Four metal legs ended in three-pronged feet, extending from a round central body. The front of the body was dominated by a large, pupil-less yellow eye. The machine was collapsed onto its underside within the bubble, its legs motionless and the various lights on its body unlit. Though it appeared menacing, the machine was not particularly large compared to many of the beasts they had encountered, and the main body was merely the size of a small house. Terra felt a chill as she stared at the large yellow eye on the center of the machine's body, and turned away. Shinryu turned one of its four eyes towards her.

_ "You sense it as well…"_

"Yes," Terra whispered. A terrible power came from the machine, rivaling even the power of Shinryu itself. Even at a distance and with it inactive, its strength was undeniable. But, the machine's power was far different from Shinryu's. Shinryu's was at odds with the Void around them, lighting up the darkness with its rainbow aura. The machine sealed in the bubble took power from that darkness and made it its own. The Void itself flowed into the machine, fueling it in what seemed an attempt to activate it. Terra was thankful it wasn't working.

"That machine…" Bartz whispered, causing the others to turn to him. "I know that thing, I've seen a picture!" Bartz shouted. "That's Om–"

_**"No!"**_

Shinryu's mental voice rumbled through the Void like a hurricane, and Terra and Cloud stumbled and fell, feeling like they'd be physically struck. Shinryu's eyes were wide now, what had been calm and collected now sounded manic.

_"Do not dare speak the abomination's name!"_

Shinryu's command was as deafening as its outcry a moment earlier. Cloud stood up, helping to pull Terra to her feet. He looked back at the machine. Shinryu had said it was the only thing whose power rivaled its.

"What is it?" he asked. Shinryu let out a low murmur, considering the request.

_"Long ago, in the progenitor world, the first world, two great nations were at war. The enemy nation, seeking conquest, called monsters to serve their whims. Combining forbidden magic with mechanical ingenuity, they bound the souls of those monsters to a war machine, designed for mass destruction. This machine was given the sole purpose of annihilating all other beings on the planet. The other nation lacked the mechanical skill of their enemies, so they sought out an ancient tribe skilled in the ways of magic. The tribe took a child from their ranks, and infused him with the memories of centuries of warriors and hunters. Imbued with their knowledge and power, he was to be their counter-weapon. The child was named Garland by his caretakers."_

"Garland…" Terra whispered.

_"The child grew strong, and was eventually sent to fight the enemy's war machine. Their battle lasted three days and three nights. In the end, he called upon the ancient magics that had been taught him as a last resort, and cast the war machine into the Void. The war ended, and Garland returned to his homeland as a hero, a savior. But it was only the beginning of a far greater threat…" _Shinryu looked at the war machine again. _"The nation that had taken him began to abuse Garland's power. Having seen the power of the Void he wielded they sent him to fight over and over, until their dominance of the world was secured. Realizing their allies had gone too far, Garland's caretakers tried to confront him, but the dangerous magic he was abusing had seeded a deep darkness in his heart. He cast them into the Void as well. His rampage would go on, until the day the darkness consumed him and he turned on his kingdom."_

"He became Chaos," Cloud interrupted. "He used the Crystal of Darkness and the Void to try and create a time paradox where he could become immortal."

_"Yes. Hikari and his three comrades went back in time, and banished Chaos into the Void. But that was not the end. In the rifts of the Void, Chaos endured, such was his power, or rather the power of the Crystal of Darkness he seized before he was banished. In time he crafted a new realm for himself out of the remnants of other worlds that had been consumed by the Void, and so the Edge of Madness was birthed. Within his new seat of power, Chaos was found by the lingering spirits of his caretakers. The three of them realized they had been manipulated by the nations of their world, and that they now shared a common hatred for them. And so out of mutual hatred was birthed a common goal – vengeance." _

_ "I have been wandering the Void for eons, long before the cycles of war began. Seeing the creation of this new realm I came to investigate it, and found Chaos and his caretakers. They sought to return home, and to claim revenge on those that had caused them to be trapped here. When I visited them, they asked me to assist them, promising me power if I agreed."_

"And you did," Cecil said, stating it as a fact and not a question.

_"Why not?" _Shinryu replied, a hint of challenge in it voice. _"When one is free to wander between realms at their whim and is strong enough to unmake them if they so choose, what else is there but to strengthen one's self further? I have crafted and uncrafted hundreds of worlds to rule over as diversions from an eternity of tedium. They only entertain me for so long, though, and in the end my travels resume. The purpose of my existence is utter freedom, the power to do almost anything I wish unchallenged. My masters and creators are long dead, so long even I cannot remember my origins. This bargain was a new amusement, and unlike any other situation I had encountered when before I had shown myself to lesser beings. So yes, I agreed to assist them."_

"That's your excuse? You were bored?" Firion asked in disbelief. "Do you have any idea how many lives have been destroyed by these wars?"

_"I apologize," _Shinryu said, obviously talking down to the rebel. _"I did not realize you too are one who has the capacity to crush a world into oblivion with one hand. And if you are not, then do not presume to pass judgment upon me. Have I condemned many to die with my actions? Yes, but you do not yet comprehend that inaction on my part would have invited a far worse catastrophe. No doubt from your limited scope I must seem quite wicked, but you are simply too ignorant and naïve to know better. Such is the way of mortal man. Be grateful that I am merciful enough to enlighten you, when once in my less-patient years I would have eradicated you for your ignorance."_

"So you agreed," Cloud said, not wanting any of them to antagonize Shinryu further. "Then what?" Shinryu turned its attention back to Cloud, and after a moment began to speak again.

_"I showed the three the war machine that Garland had cast into the Void. Its power was unlike any other entity I had ever encountered. While others gradually faded into the Void, this machine took power from it and grew stronger. In time, its power would come to rival my own, as it very nearly does now. Having been programmed for utter destruction and with no other objective, its aim extended to all the worlds it could see now, all the worlds of the Void. I sealed it away here and observed it as it tried to break free, sending pale shades of itself to other worlds to sow destruction where it could not. I wish now I had destroyed it then when I first found it, for now it has grown too strong to be destroyed, only sealed. Were it to be released our battle would tear the fabric of the universe to shreds, and I could not say with certainty that I would ultimately win. But, all four of us were fools back then."_

_ "We entered into a pact, myself, Chaos, and his caretakers. The female of them would be given a sample of my power, to become Chaos's equal. She would take the name Cosmos. The male of them, Cid, would stand at my side and watch the proceedings, I guiding the Champion of Light and Cid guiding the Champion of Darkness. We crafted a new world, in the image of all other worlds, in the center of the Void. This would be the battlefield for what was to come."_

"_Chaos would select ten warriors attuned to darkness from across time and space and I would deliver them to him. They would steal the Crystals, the life sources of their worlds, and Cosmos would then select ten warriors attuned to light from these same worlds. These warriors would be brought to our world, where those serving the light would fight to reclaim their Crystals from those serving the darkness. At the end of the war, whichever of the ten held their Crystal would return home, while the ten who failed, be they warriors of light or darkness, would remain in this world as lingering specters. Over time their spirits would give up their strength to the war machine, to fuel it and power it. Eventually the machine would become strong enough to activate, and Cosmos, Cid and Chaos would use it to return home and conquer their world. At the same time I would absorb from the warriors the energy they exerted in their battles, taking their power for my own. So it was that Cosmos, Cid and Chaos created the cycles of war, me and the war machine gaining ever more power from the battles they arranged."_

"You're lying!" Tidus said suddenly. "Cosmos summoned us to save our worlds, not to power some machine!"

"He's right!" Luneth nodded. "We were brought here to save the Crystals!"

"_Needed but unfortunate lies," _Shinryu said. _"Your worlds are in stasis, with their Crystals taken they have been frozen in time. The world you have traveled through is our construct, choice pieces of it manipulated by your memories to grant the illusion that your home worlds have been joined as one. The Crystelle are likewise, artificial beings made from fragments of my own flesh and given form by the faces of those in other worlds. I am afraid all you were told by the goddess were lies. Well-crafted and articulated lies, but they are lies all the same. Even their titles are a farce. Cosmos and Chaos are no gods. Particularly powerful mortals, perhaps. But not gods._"

"No…" Cloud took a step back. "She wouldn't do that!"

"_Do not judge her too harshly. When Cosmos first came to this world, she was as hateful and vengeful as Chaos and her husband, but the long cycles of war calmed her turbulent heart. I came to a similar realization. It troubled me that they were condemning many innocent lives to oblivion just to fuel their need for revenge, but by the time I came to think such I could not stop them. If I removed myself from their pact, the sealing on the war machine would be broken. I allowed them to create a machine that could perhaps surpass my power and destroy me, and I could only watch as they were unsatisfied with it and tried to make it stronger. Indeed, I have oft wondered if this was their true intent all along, to use it to eradicate me and then conquer all worlds, not just their own. I tried to end it many times by killing Chaos myself when the cycles concluded, but he had enacted a time paradox with his Crystal of Darkness to be eternally reborn through Garland. Chaos was immortal, and killing Cosmos would end the cycles but leave Chaos and his warriors unchecked to rampage through the dimensions. They had foreseen my potential for treachery and outwitted me by exploiting the laws of the foundations of the universe, laws even I could not defy. I had allowed myself to become an unwitting pawn in the schemes of mortals, and I had only myself to blame."_

"You were a prisoner of their cycle too," Terra whispered. "You were manipulated and trapped just like the rest of us."

"_Yes,"_ Shinryu confirmed. _"In a way we were all prisoners, prisoners of ourselves, Chaos and Cosmos and myself all bound by our pact and unable to defy it. Over time, Cosmos and Chaos too came to realize the folly of their actions, yet they came to different conclusions. Chaos decided to forego their plan and conquer the worlds on his own without them or the war machine, and so sought a way to escape our pact by breaking the cycle and killing Cosmos. At the same time, Cosmos sought to end the cycle herself, realizing the harm being done to innocents with their manipulations. It was by mere chance their schemes were compatible. Thus, this cycle, it was done. Cosmos was slain due to the manipulations of Emperor Mateus and Golbez. With her dead Chaos's plot to escape and travel the worlds on his own would have succeeded, once he saw this cycle to fruition. But he failed to win this final time, the only time it truly mattered, and so the cycles of war are over." _Shinryu lowered his head. _"And I thank you. You have freed yourselves, and me as well, and stopped an unprecedented apocalypse by depriving the machine of further power."_

"You're serious? It's all over?" Squall asked.

"_Yes. The Crystal of Darkness of Chaos's world is shattered, and he can no longer revive himself. Cosmos is dead and cannot be revived even if she wished it. Cid, our pact broken, will eventually fade into nothingness without the power of Chaos's Crystal of Darkness to sustain his spirit. He has no further power over the machine or myself. The Crystal of Light of Chaos's world, the Axis Crystal, has been returned, and yours await their returns when you take them home. All is as it must be now."_

"For real? No more hidden surprises?" Bartz repeated.

"_Have I not been clear on this already?" _Shinryu said, slightly amused. Bartz and Zidane leapt up, slapping a high five. Sighs of relief and cheers came from the various members.

"What about the war machine?" Luneth asked.

"_As I said, it has grown too strong to be destroyed, but not to be sealed. By the rules of the pact, those slain in the cycles grant me their fighting experience. With their deaths in this cycle, the fragments of my power I gifted to Cosmos and Chaos have returned to me stronger than before with their accumulated knowledge. I will be able to strengthen the seal to prevent it from gaining more power. Do not fear. The Weapon will be contained securely."_

"Just one last thing then," Cloud said. "What happens to us?"

"_This cycle is not yet fully complete. You must still return home to your worlds with your Crystals, and with their Crystals returned your worlds will be restored. I can send you home now, if you wish. I drew you to this place to save you when the world of Chaos's design began to collapse upon his death. Now I have nothing more to say, but to again extend my gratitude."_

"We go home…what about Golbez and Jecht?" Cecil asked. "What has become of my brother?" Cloud turned to him.

"When I entered the Edge of Madness, they stayed behind. They couldn't enter the portal, so they elected to fight off the Crystelle to keep them from interfering with the battle," he said. Cecil looked disheartened, and Tidus let out a frustrated grunt. "I don't know what happened to them once I left. Sorry," Cloud finished. Shinryu looked at Cecil and Tidus.

"_Your kin are an irregularity in the cycle's order. None before have been cast aside by Chaos, nor sought to betray him and side with Cosmos. Traitors with hearts of light in bodies of darkness, I cannot say with certainty their fates. The world of our construct has collapsed, but their spirits have vanished from my sight. Perhaps they have already returned home, or perhaps they have sunk back into death. I do not know."_

"…sucks," Tidus muttered, looking at the ground. Cecil didn't say a word.

"I have something to say as well," Terra said, stepping forward. Cloud looked down to see her hand slip into his. "I don't want to return to my world," she said. She looked over at Cloud and smiled. "Send my Crystal home, make sure they're okay. But I want to go with Cloud to his world."

"Lucky bastard," Zidane muttered from somewhere behind Cloud. Shinryu turned its eyes towards Terra.

"_No."_

"What?" Terra turned back to Shinryu, confused.

"_I cannot. There are laws in this universe even I must obey. The Crystals must be taken home by their chosen holders, no one else. It would be another matter if you found a way to travel between worlds on your own, but not so with the cycles. If you do not return to your world it will remain in stasis forever,"_ Shinryu explained. _"You may go with him if you wish, but your world will never be restored. The decision is yours." _Terra looked down.

"When you put it that way, there's really no decision at all, is there?" she whispered sadly. Cloud reached over to tilt her head up.

"Hey. We knew it was a long shot anyway, right?" he said.

"Yes," Terra agreed, forcing a smile. Cloud returned the gesture.

"There's really no way?" he asked, looking up at Shinryu.

"_Nay. Some find ways to travel between worlds on their own, and they are free to travel as they please. But your travels now are governed by the laws of the cycle, and they must be upheld. If Terra wishes to not return to her world, her Crystal cannot go without her."_

Cloud looked back at shifted his hand to cup her cheek.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"I won't forget you," she whispered.

"Same here," he replied. He let go and turned to the group to see them all watching, a few grins showing. "You could have looked away," he grumbled.

"And miss that look you're sporting right now?" Tidus teased. A couple of them chuckled, and then fell silent.

"So…this is really it…we're finally going home," Luneth said.

"It's what we've been fighting for from the start, but it still doesn't seem real," Firion sighed. "I guess all that's left to say is goodbye."

"Indeed," Cecil said. "It has been an honor to fight alongside you all."

"Same here, been a real blast," Zidane agreed. Bartz nodded, then looked up at Squall.

"I see you looking all quiet up there," he said. "C'mon, you're gonna miss us, say it!" Squall rolled his eyes and turned away.

"…I'll never forget you guys," he muttered. "No matter how hard I try."

"That's the spirit!" Bartz laughed, throwing his arms over Squall's shoulders. Squall grimaced and shrugged him away.

"We ready?" Cloud asked. The other eight nodded, and the final Champion of Light turned around and looked up at Shinryu. "Shinryu. Send us home," he said. Shinryu gave Cloud a very human nod, and the Crystals lit up in flashes of light.

"_Then it is with sincere thanks and genuine congratulations that I bid you farewell, Warriors of Cosmos," _the dragon said, floating away. _"I return to my eternal journey, free again. As do we all." _With that, Shinryu turned, flapped its wings and flew into the depths of the Void, vanishing in an instant. The warriors lit up in the same color of their Crystals, and began to fade away, sparkles of light drifting up from their bodies.

"See ya around!" Luneth waved, dispersing.

"It's been fun," Bartz grinned, following. One by one they faded away, Cloud turning to Terra and noticing he could see through her body. He leaned forward, but she vanished shortly after turning her eyes his direction. Cloud's hand passed through where her face had been, and he had only a second to sigh in disappointment before he too vanished.

Nine shining Crystals hovered in the air, shining in place for a moment, before flying off into the Void, vanishing in specks of light.

* * *

"Mama!"

Terra opened her eyes to feel a small pair of hands shaking her by the hip. She turned her head.

"Thomas?" she said. The blond-haired boy smiled.

"Come on, today's the day! You said the flying ship was gonna come today right?" he said enthusiastically. "I can come this time right?"

"Flying…" Terra looked around. Her home in Mobliz. Her bed. Her nightstand. Her hair ribbon nearly folded on top of it with her boots at the bottom.

"Yeah, you said I'm old enough now!" Thomas cheered. Then his face dropped. "Aaaaaw, don't tell me I can't, I've been waiting ever since it first came to go on it!"

"_Setzer…" _Terra took a moment to think. Thomas was talking about Setzer's airship coming. She stood up and crossed to the window to see the village aglow in the golden light of the rising sun.

"_It's morning…the morning of that day…" _she realized. Shinryu had returned them home, the same morning as the day it had all began. Setzer was going to arrive in the _Falcon_ within the hour, to fly her to Figaro to see Celes and Edgar in South Figaro.

Staring out at Mobliz, not yet woken up in this early light, Terra felt herself begin to cry even as she broke into a wide smile.

"_Home…it's true. We really went home…"_

"Mama? What's wrong?" Thomas asked. Terra knelt down and hugged him. She'd have picked him up if she didn't remember he was too old.

"Nothing's wrong, nothing at all," she whispered. "Of course you can come." Thomas cheered again and ran out of the home. Terra turned back to the window to watch him enter the common house where the rest of the children aside from Katarin and Duane slept.

"_Mobliz…" _It looked just like the day she had woken up. Then somehow she'd gone back in time, if only a few hours. She reached for her hair ribbon and turned to the small mirror she had hung on the wall. Terra tied her hair into a ponytail, noting the pale blond color. Holding up an arm, Terra concentrated. Nothing happened. Putting the same hand on her necklace, she failed to sense anything. She sighed slightly. The world was once again closed off to her. Her powers had left her again, just as she'd feared. She looked back at the window.

"_Cloud…did you make it too?"_

* * *

Cloud turned over, eyes closed. Something bright shone through his eyelids, and with a groan of irritation he lifted a hand to block it. A small giggle got him to open his eyes to see a young girl holding a small hand mirror, reflecting the light coming through the window blinds into his face.

"Good morning Cloud. Tifa said you had slept in," she said sweetly.

"Marlene!" Cloud muttered, throwing back the blanket, clad only in his pants. Marlene dropped the mirror and ran out of the room laughing. Cloud stopped, feet over the edge of the bed, as he realized what had happened. "Marlene?" he called, looking at the door to his room. There was no response, so he stood and walked to the blinds, pulling them up. Bright sunlight streamed in and he had to shield his eyes. Beyond the window the city of Edge sprawled, a few early risers already going about their daily routines.

"Hey, sorry about that." Cloud turned as Tifa leaned against the doorway, wiping off her hands with a rag. "I told Marlene to wake you up but I didn't think she'd do it like that," she finished.

"Tifa!" Cloud reached her in three long steps and pulled her into a tight hug.

"Cloud?" Tifa gasped. "Are you okay?"

"We did it…I'm home," he whispered.

"Um, did you go somewhere?" Tifa asked, getting embarrassed. Cloud pulled back. "Are you okay?" Tifa repeated.

"I'm great," Cloud said, giving her a rare smile. "Where's Denzel?"

"He went off with Barret to see Reeve, something came up with them. Anyway, I told Marlene to wake you because we've got an order from Mideel." Tifa produced a piece of paper with some hastily scribbled writing on it. "The bar down there wants some of our liquor delivered to them, I figured you might want to get an early start on it."

"Delivery…" Cloud whispered, taking the note. He looked over at his desk. It was replaying itself. The same day as the Crystelle had attacked. The memories were coming back to him now. Of course, the Mideel delivery, Denzel with Barret, Marlene's wake-up call. "It's all the same…"

"You sure are acting weird. You didn't roll out of bed and hit your head did you?" Tifa asked, peering at him curiously.

"No, I'm fine, fine," Cloud replied, blinking a few times. "Just had a weird dream." _"Was it all a dream? No, can't be…unless…"_

"Okay then, get dressed and come downstairs, breakfast is still warm," Tifa said, leaving. Cloud looked back down at the note and set it on the desk. Taking his hand back, he looked at his bare arm and thought for a moment. Cloud walked to his closet and opened the door. His riding outfit hung up, and he remembered why, that day that he was now reliving and yet was so long ago, he had worn his SOLDIER uniform, his riding outfit had been torn along the hip in a monster attack and needed stitching. Cloud fingered the tear and wondered if it had been there when he had donned the outfit back when he had come to the city with Terra and Zidane.

Was everything really all as it was before? Had it never changed as Shinryu said, the fragments of worlds he had seen truly just replications of their homes? Was it all really over, now that he was back? And had the others gone home as well? Too many questions he couldn't answer, even now that it was all settled his mind raced as the finer details of his quest eluded him. The others…

"_Terra…"_ remembering the half-Esper hadn't been allowed to accompany him, Cloud unhooked the dark purple top from the rack and pulled it over his head.

"_Was that really goodbye?"_


	41. Epilogue

**This chapter was incredibly difficult to write. Not just the content itself, but the sheer length – 35 full pages, the longest single document I have ever written. Now, after almost three full years of work, it is at last done. My only hope is my usual spelling and grammar slip-ups are at a minimum, and the grand final scene pleases everyone. So, yup, 35 pages, three times as long as previous chapters. Go get a snack, take a bathroom break, and enjoy this final chapter of Shards of Memory. **

Shards of Memory

Epilogue

"_**Thinking of you, wherever you are. We pray for our sorrows to end, and hope that our hearts will blend. Now I will step forward to realize this wish."**_

* * *

"I can see him coming Mama, he's coming!"

Terra smiled as Thomas jumped up and down excitedly. The Falcon was visible on the horizon, the airship descending as it came closer. She was eager to see Setzer, Celes and Edgar again. She wanted to make sure they were safe after all that had happened. She had seen her children in the village and was overjoyed to find them all completely unaware of what had happened. Terra could only surmise that Shinryu had told the truth, that their worlds had been in some sort of time stasis without their Crystals.

She had tried several more times, in private, to manifest her powers. They refused to awaken, and Terra had sadly accepted that once again her Esper self was gone from her. The familiar feeling of being cut off from the world had sunken in, her sixth sense blinded. Though she was genuinely happy to be home, Terra still silently mourned the second loss of her magic.

_"Cloud…"_ she thought, looking up as the Falcon's shadow loomed overhead, the airship slowing to a stop. She wondered again if he had made it home, and if Luneth and Golbez and the others had been fortunate enough to do the same. Shinryu had said he didn't know what would become of Golbez and Jecht, and Terra worried their spirits may have been lost somewhere out there. Cloud and Luneth she could at least be fairly certain they had gotten home successfully.

The Falcon stopped some distance from the ground, its propulsion propellers slowing to keep it hovering in place. The hatch on the bottom of the craft swung open, a steel panel under it sliding up and a rope ladder dropping to the ground from within.

"You first," Terra said, looking down at Thomas. Thomas cheered and ran up to the ladder, scurrying up it quickly. Terra took her time doing the same. She was eager to see her friends, but for some reason a bit reluctant as well. It had been so long. She neared the top and looked up at the hatch.

"Well, come on. Fuel isn't cheap you know, if you're having hesitations we can just leave now," Setzer called down to her, leaning his head out. Terra stared for a moment, but eventually smiled. The wandering gambler was just as she remembered, cloak flapping slightly in the wind, face giving her a slight smile to know he was joking.

"That'll be fine, thank you Setzer," she said, climbing up the rest of the way. Setzer turned to the wall and pressed the control panel to retract the ladder into its holding.

"I stopped to pick up Celes on the way, was gonna go get her on the way back-"

"But she wanted to see me and spend some time with me before we got to Figaro," Terra finished, remembering the conversation from before. Setzer gave her a confused look at the ladder finished retracting and the hatch closed. "I was just thinking the same," Terra explained.

"Yes," Setzer mumbled, still confused.

"Mr. Setzer?" the gambler looking down to see Thomas pull on his coat. "Is it true this is the one and only airship in the world?" he asked. Setzer smirked and knelt down.

"Well, a few old imperial fleet vessels are still kicking around down south, but they don't work mostly so yeah, this is it," he replied. "You're Thomas, aren't you? Terra's told me you've been waiting to fly on this ship."

"Where is Celes?" Terra asked. She was happy to see Setzer, but she really wanted to meet Celes again. The former general was like a big sister to her, and Terra hadn't forgotten the sight of her spirit floating in the Void. Did Celes know anything about what had happened, or was she as oblivious as the rest?

"She's up on the main deck," Setzer said. He looked back down at Thomas. "So, would you like a tour? I'll show you the blackjack table I just bought for the lounge."

"Setzer," Terra said, warning in her voice as she walked to walk towards the ladder that led to the rest of the craft. A humble and a gentle rumble let her know the airship had begun to take flight again. "You are not teaching him to gamble."

"What? It was an innocent question and an equally innocent offer, nothing more, I had no dishonorable intentions," Setzer said defensively. Terra shook her head and climbed the ladder. The Falcon's inner mechanics clanked and turned beneath the catwalk as she walked across it, gears cranking and chains and pulleys turning. On the other end of the catwalk was a door leading deeper into the ship's bowels, and a ladder leading to the lounge area. Terra climbed up it, emerging on the balcony overlooking the gambling tables and bar below. Setzer and Thomas began to climb up after her.

"Go ahead and give Thomas the tour," she said, stepping back to give them room.

"Of course," Setzer agreed. Terra looked at the ladder leading up to the deck of the airship. She approached it and hesitated for a moment before climbing. At the top of the ladder she pressed the small button set in the wall between the rungs, and the hatch overhead retracted. The underside of the Falcon's balloon filled the field of vision above, and the scent of the air changed. Terra climbed up onto the deck, and the airship's pilot turned from the controls.

"Terra!" Celes smiled, approaching her. "Good to see you." Terra stared for a moment, then lunged forward. Celes was caught off guard but stood her ground as Terra embraced her. "Um, hello," she said awkwardly.

"You're safe," Terra whispered. Celes, above the rest, she was worried about. Seeing her spirit in the Void, Terra had no idea what was going to become of her. But the former general, like the rest of her world, seemed to be just as Terra had seen her that fateful day so many months ago.

"Is there any reason I ought not to be?" Celes replied, stepping back. "Is something wrong?"

"No," Terra shook her head. "Everything is fine."

* * *

"Barret's going to be coming over later," Tifa said. Cloud was lying on his back on a trolley in the garage, Fenrir mounted up on cinder blocks over his head. "He needs to talk to you about Reeve, sounded important."

"Right," Cloud muttered. He reached his hand out. "Can you grab me that little flashlight off the bench?" Tifa looked over and reached to pick it up. "Thanks," Cloud took it from her and switched it on.

"Need help down there?" Tifa asked, coming around the other side to see him better.

"No, just needed a light," Cloud said. He stuck the small light in his mouth and shined it on the interior of the engine, holding up a loose bit of metal Tifa didn't recognize with one hand and reaching out to grab a screwdriver from beside him with the other.

"Alright. When you finish up there, come in for lunch, between whatever Barret wants and that Mideel delivery you're not going to get much of a dinner," Tifa said, standing up. Cloud made a grunt of acknowledgement, and a few seconds later heard the garage door click closed. He finished tightening the loose screw and began to put the engine back together.

_"Feels like I'm going through the motions,"_ he mused, the flashlight between his teeth starting to make his jaw ache. He was still hesitant to accept that everything had just snapped back to how it was before. That in mind, Cloud had decided to change things, as much as he figured he could. He had been working on Fenrir when Barret came to see him the first time, so now he was taking care of it before Barret arrived. He knew it didn't make sense, but it was still somehow putting him at ease, doing things in a different manner than he had done them that day, as if by changing his actions he could avert the events of the past.

Cloud had spent a few minutes trying to manifest his powers, but they didn't. He couldn't conjure anything, and the world was once again closed-off to his senses. He supposed that was to be expected, the powers of light supposedly came from Cosmos and were passed down, now with her and the rest of those involved in the cycle gone, there was nothing to draw power from. Still, Cloud was disappointed. He had liked that power, and had been hoping to keep it. But it likely would have raised too many questions if anyone saw him using said powers here, so perhaps it was for the best.

Other than that, Cloud had begun to re-discover the odd sense of listlessness that came associated with the end of an adventure. It wasn't all that different from when he tried to adjust to a normal life after Sephiroth's defeat at the Northern Crater. Cloud had mixed feelings towards the idea of a 'normal' life, the entire reason his life had taken the course it had was because he wanted to be a famous hero. Now, he didn't much know what he wanted. Looming over his life in the wake of Sephiroth's death there had always been some sort of shadow, an odd sense that there was more, a sense that had been justified when Sephiroth had returned. Even after Sephiroth was slain again and Vincent had taken care of Deepground, he lived his life with anticipation of the next threat coming.

_"But there won't be a next threat anymore,"_ Cloud thought. Sephiroth was well and truly gone, he felt it in his bones and his body that his archenemy had died for the final time when he watched him vanish into particles of light. He fears were not going to be realized again, not by any obvious threat anyway, and there was no point fearing what couldn't be anticipated.

_"So is this really it? Just a normal life now that all the enemies are dead?" _Cloud thought for a moment on the stories he'd heard from his friends. Tidus was living a normal life with his girlfriend, while Firion had taken to travelling the world fighting injustice. The former was confusing, but the latter…Cloud had to admit it didn't sound horrible. He liked being able the world as he did when he ran his deliveries, but the only problem was that with Shinra and Rufus reformed there mostly was no injustices to fight. Unless he cared to fight petty crime there would be no point to doing as Firion had.

_"What, then?"_ Cloud pushed himself and the trolley out from under Fenrir and he stood up. He turned the key and the engine started up, the metallic rattling that had prompted the maintenance was gone. Turning it off again, Cloud wiped his hands and face off with the rag hanging from the handlebars. Walking to his workbench he took a drink from the bottle of water there and turned to lean against the bench, staring at Fenrir.

He wasn't sure he could leave, even if he wanted to. Would it be fair to Tifa, Marlene and Denzel to abandon them? Sure he didn't often see them since he was away on deliveries, but he came home to them, and they were still his family. He didn't want to lose that. But the idea of settling down to a mundane, average lifestyle now…there was something discomforting about it, the thought of him just living out the rest of his life.

"Well, at least I've got plenty of time to think about it. As long as I need," he resolved. Cloud took another drink, and set the bottle down. Another thought occurred to him, and he reached into his pocket. Finding nothing, he began to pull open the drawers on the bench. The second one he tried was locked, and after unlocking it he found two glowing green orbs inside.

_"That's right,"_ Cloud remembered, _"I grabbed them in preparation to go to Mideel…"_ picking up the orbs, sensing their energy and identifying them as Thunder and Cure, Cloud looked back in the drawer, confused. He pulled it out as far as it would go. _"Fire…" _

* * *

"Come on, hurry up slowpoke!" Luneth crossed his arms as Arc ran to catch up to him, panting slightly. "Back in our adventuring days you could outrun a Behemoth in your sleep," Luneth teased. Arc stopped in front of him and hunched over, his hands on his knees.

"That was three years ago Luneth," Arc groaned. "You've been exploring all the time ever since, I haven't." Luneth laughed and turned to look over the village sprawling before them. "Why'd you wanna me to come along anyway? We just saw Refia last week."

"Topapa said Takka had something for us to take to him, so I might need help carrying it. It'll do you good to explore more often," Luneth replied. The early morning had gone as he remembered it, the elder telling him the Kazus blacksmith had some special item to be delivered to Ur. Luneth remembered being sent to get it later in the day, and he would be able to take it home by himself, but he wanted Arc along. He wanted to see their band back together again, the four of them united if only for a few minutes. Speaking of which… "By the way, I was thinking of heading up to the castle to see Ingus once we're done here, before we head back to Kazus."

"We can't make the forest in one day," Arc shook his head. "We'll take back whatever Topapa needs and go tomorrow. We can cross between the mountains that way, save a bit of time."

"Fine," Luneth rolled his eyes. He was already considering such anyway, especially since it was getting late and the 'quick' journey from Ur to Kazus had been longer than he had expected. He had made sure his family and friends were safe at home, but he still had to check on the others. "Come on," Luneth waved Arc forward, heading towards the shop marked with a hammer and anvil signing hanging over its door. As they approached an older man in blue overalls emerged.

"Ah, Luneth, Arc!" Takka smiled. "Just in time, we were about to close."

"Hi Takka. You got something for us I hear?" Luneth replied, crossing his arms.

"Refia was just putting the finishing touches on it inside, go take a look, it's pretty impressive," Takka said. "I was heading out back to get some firewood, one of you boys care to help?"

"I will," Arc nodded. Takka grinned and waved Arc around the back of the smithy. Luneth pushed open the door to head inside.

"Luneth!" Refia looked up from a drawing she was examining and stepped back from the desk. "Good to see you," she said, embracing him.

"Same to you," Luneth replied, blushing. Refia pulled back, not noticing his face, and turned to the shop.

"It's back here," she said, leading Luneth into a back room. Luneth followed somewhat apprehensive, knowing what he was going to see already. "There it is," Refia said, standing back to let him in. Luneth walked past her, swallowing a sudden lump in his throat.

A suit of red and gold armor hung on a wooden figure. Luneth approached cautiously and ran a finger over the chest piece. Days ago, he had worn this same armor in battle. The day of the cataclysm, he had come to Kazus to pick up this armor, a tribute to the ancient drawings in the Altar Cave of four legendary knights for the Crystals. Refia had designed it for his measurements and asked him to try it on. He had just barely finished slipping on the helmet when the Crystelle attacked, and he'd been drawn into the other world with it still on when he had woken up.

"I had an artist in the village expand on those old carvings a bit, they weren't very detailed," Refia said behind him as Luneth examined the armor. "We went through two or three versions before we found a design that looked right to us. Topapa had us craft it for your size. Wanna try it on and make sure we got it right?"

"I'm sure it fits fine," Luneth whispered, suddenly overcome by emotion. He had of course been relieved and happy when he saw he was home and everything was back to normal, but seeing the armor here and now, he was suddenly fearful. If he put the armor back on, would the Crystelle rise again? It was irrational, Luneth knew, but it was what he was worried about now.

"Okay. Not sure what Topapa plans to use it for," Refia shrugged, drawing the sword from the sheath on the back of the armor and looking it over. "Maybe you'll be sent out into the world to fight evil again, this time as the legendary 'Onion Knight', hm?" she teased.

"Yeah…" Luneth shrugged. He watched Refia give the yellow blade a few practice swings before she returned it to the armor, and thought back to his conversation with Terra the night before the final battle. He'd been trying to work up the confidence for this for a few months, before the cataclysm that is. Now with all he had been through… "Refia?"

"Hm?" the redhead replied, brushing off the chest of the armor.

"I was thinking if, maybe sometime soon, you'd want to ride the airship," Luneth said.

"I'd love to!" Refia smiled, looking over at him. "Where'd you want to go?"

"Nowhere in particular, just flying around, enjoying the sights," Luneth replied.

"Sure then. It'll be good to see Cid again."

"Not with Cid. Just me," Luneth clarified, realizing he had phrased his question poorly. Refia's hand slowed, and she gave Luneth a curious look.

"Luneth, are you trying to ask me on some sort of private airship ride?" she turned around. "Some sort of _romantic_airship ride?"

"W-What? Ah, I mean, no, no!" Luneth said quickly, shaking his head and looking at his feet to avoid her eyes. "I just meant as friends, um, you know, since I don't see you often anymore, and uh, well…"

"Oh," Refia said. Luneth lifted his head to see her standing right in front of him, hands clasped behind her back. Luneth stumbled back at the close proximity, his back hitting the wall. "Becaaaauuuuse, if you _were_ asking something like that," Refia said, taking a single long step to close the distance again. "I would say yes." Giggling at his wide eyes, she leaned in to plant a kiss on his cheek, then slipped out the door back to the main shop. Luneth blinked, his face red as her hair, and touched his cheek where her lips had been.

"Wow…"

* * *

"The Dollet people are experiencing a sudden rise in monster attacks, they don't have much in way of paying, but it could be a nice goodwill act. A lot of people are still suspicious of SeeD after the war," Quistis said, reading off a clipboard.

"Right," Cid mused, lifting a hand to his face. "Are the monsters particularly strong?"

"Doesn't say, but given the region it's unlikely," Quistis replied.

"Hm, could be a good training exercise for the cadets, if we send them with some official SeeDs for supervision. Squall, what do you think?" Cid looked up at the Garden commander. Squall was staring off into space, his face blank. "Squall?" Cid repeated. Quistis slipped a hand under his face and snapped her fingers. Squall jerked slightly and turned to her.

"What?" he said, irritated.

"Have you been paying attention?" Quistis asked suspiciously. "Dollet has asked for help with some monster attacks. Cid suggested sending some SeeD members with cadets to clean it up."

"…sounds fine," Squall nodded. "Zell's been getting antsy lately, could send him. We keep him around here with nothing to do and he'll end up getting on the wrong person's nerves."

"You want Rinoa with them too?" Quistis said.

"_Rinoa…"_ Squall's girlfriend – he had never gotten used to the idea, but it was an accurate description of their relationship – had joined SeeD shortly after the second Sorceress War. She said it was to be closer to him and learn to take care of herself better. Squall didn't see the point, but he knew there was no point arguing since everyone else had thought it was a great idea. He sometimes wondered what the point of his position was when he instantly yielded to the opinions of his friends regardless of his own thoughts on the matter. Cid had jokingly said that this was precisely the point, he knew the most famous SeeD members personally and could take their opinions at a level that Cid himself couldn't.

"You've only sent her on a single mission since she joined, and she's starting to get suspicious if you're sheltering her or not," Cid reminded.

"_That's not it, with her Sorceress powers she doesn't need to be any stronger, she's just a distraction here, making me worry about her for no reason," _Squall thought. What he said was, "I know. If she's okay with going, she'll go. Quistis, you mind helping Zell keep an eye on them?" _"Can help keep an eye on Zell too."_

"Sure," Quistis nodded. "Also, Headmaster, we've gotten word from Trabia, they're asking if we could send them more funds for the re-construction effort. Galbadia has already allocated as much as they can spare for this month."

"I'll look at our budget, depends on how much the Dollet transportation costs run us," Cid nodded. "It isn't easy getting materials out there even with Esthar's technology. And we still haven't found a suitable Headmaster for them, Selphie can't run that place forever. I told her it would be simpler to just send the students to Balamb or Galbadia."

"They've got their pride to hold onto, not gonna happen," Squall shook his head. He was paying half-attention now, mostly so Quistis wouldn't bother him again as he thought. He wanted to go off and find Rinoa, see her again after coming home. He knew she was somewhere on the grounds, but duty called, the Headmaster and the Commander needed to go over the day's business in the morning before personal matters could be addressed.

"There's one other matter…" Quistis mumbled the comment slightly, and Squall's attention perked. She always read in a clear voice, she only mumbled when the topic of discussion was a particular former cadet. "Winhill has complained the three SeeDs we sent them to help with their monster patrols are overcharging them."

"Winhill?" Cid was confused. "We never sent any SeeDs to…" suddenly he realized what the message meant, and sighed. "I thought we told those three to stop calling themselves SeeD."

"We did. Seifer's response was quite eloquent, as I recall," Quistis confirmed. "We could send another squad to talk to him, use force this time if needed. This is the third time this month those three are doing business pretending to be SeeD."

"They causing trouble?" Squall asked. A part of him itched to track down his old rival again. The memory of Seifer's body in that glowing purple bubble was now fresh in his mind. The idea that Seifer could have been called to serve Chaos in Ultimecia's place was unsettling. He knew that Seifer had matured a bit since the Sorceress war, he had stuck around Balamb Garden for a few weeks and everyone was surprised by his change in behaviour, but eventually he took off with Fuiji and Raijin declaring he had no business with Garden anymore. Had Seifer gone back to his old ways, that he was suitable to serve Chaos? If so, Squall had to deal with it before Seifer did something drastic.

"Not that we've heard, aside from the usual rudeness and the mentioned overcharging," Quistis said.

"I'll get a message together to be sent, we're calling them in. I'll talk to them personally," Squall said. He wanted to see Seifer in person, see for himself how he was. All the reprimands from Garden had come from Cid or Martine, and once Martine had sent a trio of SeeDs lead by Irvine to speak to Seifer, but they had been ignored. However Seifer wouldn't be able to ignore a personal summons from Squall, his ego wouldn't allow it. At least, Squall hoped that was how it would be. There was a knock at the door, and the three turned their heads.

"Hello?" Rinoa stuck her head through the door. "Am I interrupting?"

"Actually we're just finishing," Quistis smiled. "Here to see Squall I assume?"

"If he doesn't mind," Rinoa said, giving him a coy look. Squall rolled his eyes. Inwardly though he was happy she had decided to seek him out, saved him the trouble of finding her instead.

"Yes, well, as Quistis said we're done here. I have business to attend to in the city, I trust you two can handle the Garden in my absence," Cid said, standing up. Squall and Quistis stood up as well and stood at attention and raised their hands in salute. Rinoa moved out of Cid's way at the door, nodding at him as he passed. Squall watched with a combination of amusement and exasperation – Rinoa had never picked up standing at attention and saluting to superiors in Garden. Squall had explained it to her four times, he wasn't sure if she didn't care or was forgetting.

"I'll just show myself out," Quistis said, stepping around the table. She closed the door behind her, leaving Rinoa and Squall alone.

"What?" Squall asked, turning to her.

"Do I need a reason to see my boyfriend?" Rinoa said, feigning being hurt. Squall didn't buy it, and after a few moments she dropped the act, switching into what Squall had silently dubbed 'serious mode'. Though he supposed it would be more accurate to use the word 'stubborn'. "I want to know why you haven't sent me on any field missions in three months," Rinoa said. "Everyone else gets one almost every month, I've had one."

"We were just discussing that," Squall muttered. "You're being sent to Dollet, monster attacks. Zell and Quistis will supervise."

"Really?" Rinoa asked, surprised. She regained her composure and nodded, a satisfied look on her face. "Good. Glad to know you appreciate my talents around here."

"I always appreciate having you here," Squall whispered. Rinoa reached up to his shoulder and pulled herself up to kiss him. Squall knew she liked it when he was more open about his affections for her, even if it was just in private.

"So, when are we going to be able to spend some time together, Mr. Commander?" she teased. "It's been a week since I've been able to talk to you outside the Garden."

"I'll talk to Cid, when you return from Dollet I could probably slip out for a few hours," Squall replied.

"Great, see you then!" Rinoa grinned, planting another short kiss on his lips then turning and almost skipping out of the room. Squall watched her go unable to stop himself from smiling. He hadn't realized until now how much he had really missed her in that other world.

"_Good to be home…"_

* * *

Bartz grunted and pulled himself up the cliff face, his muscles straining. Looking up to see how much further he had to go, he called on the last of his strength and pulled himself up again, his hand finding the ledge he had spotted earlier. Bartz climbed to safety and took a moment to catch his breath. He looked at the climbing hook snagged on the rocks and grabbed it, pulling his bundle of supplies up to him. Several feet away the ledge twisted further up to a cave.

"Snack time," he said between breaths, untying the bundle and taking out some preserved meat. He bit into it eagerly, his stomach rumbling. The adventurer remembered being hungry at this particular point when he had lived through this day before. It was odd how well he remembered the day of the cataclysm when at the time events had been a blur. There was a sudden earthquake, a rock slide, and the sight of Crystelle before he fell down the mountain and blacked out.

Bartz supposed he was different from the other Warriors of Cosmos. He was used to being on an adventure, not seeing his friends for a long time, and inversely meeting lots of new people. He missed the nine of course, especially Zidane who had been one of the best friends he'd ever had. But Bartz had learned to move on quickly. It was the nature of the life he lived, he never knew what was going to come next and when things would change. That was how he liked it.

"Now, if I remember all this right, the treasure should be in that cave," Bartz thought aloud, reaching for his canteen. He had asked Faris to ferry him to a mountain in the east near the old Ronka Ruins, words of a powerful sword lying buried deep within it. Bartz had found the weapon the first time he had lived through this day, and used it to fight off a handful of Crystelle before he slipped off the path and was transported to the other world while unconscious. Thus he knew exactly where he was going, it was just a matter of retracing his steps. Finishing his meal, Bartz took another drink from his canteen and then packed up. Carefully standing up on the narrow ledge, he slowly edged towards the cave entrance and ducked inside. As he recalled it was dimly lit from slightly luminous yellow crystals lining the inside.

"Okay, I don't remember any monsters in here the first time," he mused, following the path as it sloped down into the mountain. The path was narrow, and Bartz had to turn to the side in some areas to squeeze through. The slope also grew steeper, forcing him to take careful steps to keep his footing. Finally the path widened into a cavern, and Bartz took a moment to rest. At the opposite end of the cavern, sitting half-buried in dirt and dust, a treasure chest lay.

"Score," he grinned, approaching it. Bartz hefted up the lid, his grin growing wider. Just as he'd found it before. Bartz reached into the chest and withdrew the Brave Blade, the red sword glowing in the light of the cavern's crystals. He gave the sword a few practice swings. When he had been called to serve Cosmos, she had granted back to him the abilities of the crystal shards Bartz had taken years ago. He had taken back the forgotten art of mimicry, able to manifest the weapons of his comrades in battle at a whim. Thinking back, the adventurer wasn't sure why he chose that specific skill, when he had mastered an assorted variety of fighting techniques in the past, both with magic and weaponry.

"Time to go," Bartz said, unsheathing the sword on his back. It was just a simple iron blade, nothing special, and he tossed it away to store the Brave Blade in its place. It was a bit loose but it would do for now. He turned and began to make his way back up the steep ramp down into the cave. Much as he had the first time he'd come there, he wondered how it was that such a powerful weapon came to be hidden here. He was sure the scholars at the Library of the Ancients would know more about this place, if he could get over to them to talk to them. Struck by an idea as he emerged back at the top of the passage, Bartz drew the Brave Blade and looked around.

"No reason I can't grab another souvenir, for them," he said. Finding an appropriate target, the mime sliced the blade at a larger piece of crystal protruding from the wall. The crystal fell to the ground, and he knelt to pick it up. The crystal piece didn't glow as brightly as before, the stub he had cut it from was still emitting the same light though. Bartz looked the crystal over a bit. From the right angle, with its color and glow, it reminded him of Zidane's Crystal. Bartz let out a small sigh and tucked it into his pocket.

"That one'll be for me." He found another crystal shard and cut it apart to take to the library. The other he resolved to keep a reminder of the good friend he had made from another world. Bartz left the cavern and tied his climbing rope around a rock, lowering the bundle of supplies tied to the end down the edge.

_"See ya around, Zidane. Maybe," _he thought as he began climbing down. _"It was a fun adventure."_

* * *

Cecil ran his hand along the cool stone wall of the stairwell to his tower. He was still somewhat in shock, the full realization that his family was safe and he was home with them again not yet dawning on him. He had seen Rosa that morning, waking up to see her lovely face framed by the morning sun through their window, and though Ceodore was away from Baron on an errand with Kain and the Red Wings, Cecil remembered from his first time living through this day they would return soon. He was eager to see them, his son and best friend. His family could truly be reunited.

_"Well…perhaps not fully," _Cecil thought. He had hoped when he had begun to vanish that somehow Golbez would find his way back to their world, and perhaps when he awoke he could search the castle and find his brother waiting for him in some chamber or another. But there was no sign of Golbez, and he had been keeping an eye and an ear out for him. Shinryu had said Golbez's fate was unknown to even one as powerful as the dragon, yet Cecil had hoped. He believed Golbez's words the prior night, that he would consider returning with Cecil to their world. Was Golbez simply unable to accept his offer due to whatever circumstances he found himself in when the world collapsed, or did he choose not to accept it after all and sank back into death? Cecil decided he would likely never know.

_"I cannot think such thoughts. This should be a joyous time for me," _he decided. He of course mourned Golbez's second death and the loss of his brother for the third time, but there was more reason to be happy with the day than to be dismayed. He was home, he had woken up to the sight of his wife for the first time in months, and soon his son and rival would return. Cecil had plans to speak to the castle's cook that day to arrange a feast. His family would likely be confused, but Cecil could excuse it away as some celebratory meal for the return of Ceodore and Kain. He would also have to speak to Rosa and see if he could arrange for her or some other noble to oversee the kingdom for a day or two while he took out an airship. He wanted to reacquaint himself with the world and the comrades he had living in other kingdoms and villages, even if only for a short time he wanted to see them.

Cecil reached the bottom of the stairs and pushed open the door to the west courtyard. Three guards ran past in the company of a black mage, narrowly missing him.

"What's going on?" Cecil asked. The guard in the back turned to him and quickly snapped to attention and saluted.

"Apologies for our rudeness, sire, urgent business in the prisons," the guard reported. "We've apprehended a man who was making a ruckus in town, but he's a bit hard to detain."

"I see. Carry on, see that he isn't harmed too greatly," Cecil nodded. The guard returned the gesture and ran off, entering the door that led to the prisons under the castle. Cecil looked up at the tower that housed his room and wondered where Cid was. He couldn't recall from the memories of the day when he had lived it the first time, but he thought perhaps Cid was with the dwarfs. He remembered the old engineer setting off in his airship approximately the same time Kain and Ceodore departed, perhaps a day or two earlier, but he didn't remember the destination.

"Let go of me!"

Cecil frowned and turned his head. A faint but unmistakable voice protesting, muffled somehow. He heard a clash of metal, and quickly realized where the sounds were coming from. Throwing open the door to the prison, Cecil descended the stairs, hearing more shouts and the sounds of a struggle.

"Recast the binding!" a call came.

"I can't hold him much longer!" a second voice said. Cecil rounded the corner, and stopped in his tracks, his eyes widening. The black mage he had seen earlier was holding out her hands focusing energy into a line of energy along the floor in front of her, a thin blue barrier rising from it. A guard lay unconscious slumped against the wall, five more holding chains attached to cuffs on the prisoner's wrists, trying to pull him towards a cell. Cecil ignored all of this, his eyes fixed on the prisoner himself as he tried to pull himself back.

"Brother!" he shouted. The assembled group turned to him, and the prisoner stilled. Golbez, still clad in his kilt and cloak

"Cecil…"

"Release him, now!" Cecil ordered. The guards looked between their king and their captive, confused.

"Sire, this man–"

"Get those chains off his wrists or I'll remove you from your posts and do it myself!" Cecil said, growing angry. The guards rushed to action now, one of them unlocking the cuff on Golbez's left wrist and tossing the keys to the others to unlock the right. Cecil approached them as they worked, stopping before Golbez as he was released.

"Brother…" Golbez whispered, watching Cecil intently. To Cecil's surprise, it was Golbez who made the first move, stooping down to embrace him. The younger brother returned the elder's embrace.

"How did you come here?" Cecil asked as Golbez stood back up. Before he could answer, Cecil held a hand up to silence him. "No, this is not nearly the place." He turned to the guards. "Tell the cook to prepare a meal, immediately, and to expect us shortly."

"Yes, sire!" the guards nodded, running off.

"Can you walk, did they hurt you?" Cecil asked.

"I am fine," Golbez replied. "And this meal you have ordered entices me."

"Share it with me, and I hope you'll return the hospitality by sharing an explanation," Cecil said, gesturing with his arm. Golbez nodded.

"I shall explain what I can," he said, following Cecil out of the prison. "I awoke on the shores of the beach to the east, when I went to Baron to discover what was happening, I was still disoriented and knocked over a guard. They brought me here."

"My apologies, they didn't know any better," Cecil mused, heading up the stairs.

"Nay, which is why I do not blame them, they were only doing their duty," Golbez responded. The two emerged into the courtyard, and Golbez stopped.

"What is it?" Cecil asked, noticing.

"Painful memories. Fleeting when I came here last. Now, clear as day," Golbez muttered, looking around.

"You will learn to cope with them, as we all learn to shoulder our burdens," Cecil soothed. "Besides, I intend to see to it you have no choice." Golbez looked at him quizzically, and Cecil smiled. "I would see that you spend a great deal of time here." Golbez chuckled slightly, and for the first time he could remember, Cecil thought he saw some of the troubled clouds behind his brother's eyes clear.

"I would not mind that."

* * *

Tidus stretched out his arms as he surfaced from the small lake in the Besaid woods. After travelling with his comrades to fight the forces of Chaos for so long, he had been surprised to realize just how much he missed the water. After getting back and making sure his friends were alright, the first thing he had been able to think of was going for a swim. Tidus supposed that was a consequence of being raised in the blitzball lifestyle.

_"Trained ever since day one…guess you really meant it when you said that was your dream, huh dad?" _he thought, looking up at the sky. Tidus had to admit he was disappointed his father hadn't survived the war between Chaos and Cosmos. His father had been robbed of his life by Sin, the same way he had, but Tidus got a second chance to return. Didn't Jecht deserve the same? Tidus's train of thought was broken by a head of light brown hair bursting up through the water's surface.

"I told you I could do it," Yuna said with a smile, gasping. Tidus returned the gesture. He'd wagered she couldn't swim to the other end of the lake and back without going up for a breath.

"Yup, proved me wrong," he agreed. He had been surprised when he returned to Spira to learn Yuna had begun to learn blitzball in his absence, her sphere hunting group even taking the place of the Aurochs in a tournament. Tidus had eventually left the Aurochs to return to Wakka's leadership to captain Yuna's Gullwings. The two teams had a friendly rivalry as a result of their captains being such close friends. The Gullwings had taken the championship last year and were looking to do it again this year.

"I'll bet I could probably make it faster than you," Yuna mused, drawing Tidus out of his thoughts.

"As if, you forget you're talking to the ace of the league here," he said with a grin.

"I've been improving a lot since you let me move up to a fielder position. Don't underestimate me," Yuna warned.

"I never have," Tidus said softly. Yuna's challenging smirk shifted into a tender smile, and she dove under the water. Tidus let out a small growl and ducked after her, irritating his girlfriend had taken a head start when he wasn't ready. He quickly noticed that while he was catching up, he wasn't doing it all that quickly, and pushed himself faster.

_"She's been training more than she's let on," _he realized. _"I thought she was improving a lot faster than the others during our training sessions_." Yuna took to blitzball surprisingly easy, having excellent reflexes and being aware of other players even if they weren't in her immediate view. She would probably become one of the league's best players if she could take tackles better. Tidus liked that idea, training his girlfriend to be an ace player and the two of them dominating the blitz tournaments together.

_"Training her to be an ace," _he thought as he saw her reach the end of the lake and turn, only feet ahead of him. Tidus kicked off the dirt and pushed himself after her. Yuna's legs began to pass by his head, but he was unable to catch up and Yuna surfaced at the far edge of the lake.

"I told you," she laughed as Tidus came up beside her.

"You cheated, I wasn't ready," he grumbled.

"Hey, what's that thing you keep telling the team?" the former summoner teased. "When a true blitzer squares off with his opponent, he's gotta be ready for anything." Tidus stared at her for a moment, then splashed her and began to climb onto the shore. Yuna sputtered and glared up at him, stretching out her hand to grab the back of his pants and pulling him back into the water. She giggled and got out as Tidus thrashed for a moment, trying to regain his bearings at the unexpected attack.

"That's not fair!" he sputtered as he climbed after her, Yuna already vanished down the path back to the village. Tidus let out a small growl and started after her. Judging from the sun it was around lunch time anyway, and he was getting hungry.

"Tidus!" Tidus jerked at the sudden call of his name and saw Yuna running towards him.

"What's wrong?" he asked, speeding up.

"It's...Wakka was coming to find use, he's…at the beach," Yuna hesitated. "Tidus…"

"What is it?" he yelled, confused.

"You need to go see for yourself," Yuna said, biting her lip. Tidus looked at her strangely, then ran down the path and through the village. As he ran through he passed by Wakka standing at the door of his house talking to Lulu, the two turning as he passed. Tidus neared the beach when he suddenly heard shouting and tried to pick up the pace.

"I told ya I'm fine, hands off!"

Tidus's eyes widened, the bend turning to the beach. That voice….

"Dad!" he called, rounding the bend. Tidus halted, his suspicions confirmed. Letty and Botta were standing slightly to the side as Jecht shakily stepped out of the surf, holding his head. The rest of the Aurochs stood watching, whispering between themselves. Jecht looked up and caught sight of Tidus.

"Whoa…must 'ave hit my head pretty hard back there," he mumbled, coming towards Tidus. His eyes flickered around, disoriented, before locking on his son while still half-closed. "Wha…? T…Tidus?"

"Dad…" Tidus slowly walked forward until he was in front of Jecht, the older blitzball player stumbling a bit, his head low between his hands.

"This ain't a dream or something, is it?" Jecht muttered. "Because my head is pounding like a shoopuf's hooves and I wouldn't mind waking up now."

"This isn't a dream dad," Tidus almost whispered, stilled in shock. Behind him Yuna and Wakka came closer, Yuna gasping as she saw Jecht.

"Oh…well that's good to then, means I'm really back," Jecht blinked, still confused. "How about giving the old man a hug?" Tidus smiled and stepped closer, opening his arms. Suddenly Jecht spun around to the side, wrapping his arm around Tidus's neck and trapping him, his eyes wide with excitement.

"Ya could at least be happy to see me, ya runt!" Jecht laughed, giving Tidus a noogie.

"You old bastard, you were faking it?" Tidus cried, beating his fist on Jecht's back and trying to pull his head away. Jecht didn't even seem to notice. "Let go of me!" Jecht lifted his arm, leaving Tidus to fall backwards onto the sand. Behind him Yuna and Wakka were barely stifling their laughter. Tidus growled and glared up at his father, standing over him with a cocky grin and his hands on his hips.

"Hey, don't gimme that look, you're happy to see me and you know it," Jecht teased.

"Don't flatter yourself," Tidus snapped, standing and brushing himself off. Jecht shook his head and looked away, his arms going limp.

"Geez, I roughed you up a bit, but you don't have to take it so-" Jecht was cut off by Tidus suddenly lunging forward, slamming his shoulder into Jecht's stomach. Jecht grunted as he was caught off guard and had the wind knocked out of him. He stumbled back and fell spread-eagle on the ground. Moaning slightly, Jecht lifted his head to see Tidus assuming the same pose he had taken a moment before.

"Welcome back, old man," he said, holding out his hand. Jecht looked at it suspiciously but eventually took it, Tidus pulling him to his feet. "You hungry? I was thinking of heading into the village for a snack a few minutes ago."

"Sounds good to me," Jecht nodded, walking toward Besaid. Tidus followed him with Yuna and Wakka, a smile on his face.

* * *

"There, that wasn't so hard, was it?" The bandit snickered in his hood as his two accomplices hauled away a large treasure chest from the back of the noble's carriage, heading deeper into the woods. At the front of the carriage pulled by a Chocobo, the noble's driver had a dagger to his neck by a fourth assailant. "By the way," the bandit gestured the tip of his sword at the noble's hand. "I'll take those pretty rings of yours, too."

"My daughters gave me these," the noble hissed, clasping his other hand over the rings.

"Well then, perhaps you'd like to be buried with them?" the bandit snorted, raising his sword to the noble's throat. The noble glared fiercely as he pulled the rings off one by one, then held them out. The bandit swiped them and jumped down from the carriage. The bandit by the driver jumped down as well and the two fled.

"These morons will never learn," the leader snickered as he and the fourth came up to the two who had taken the chest. The leader pulled his hood down, exposing short hair. "Now, let's open her up and check out the haul," he said, pulling out the key the noble had given him. Unlocking the chest and swinging the lid up, his eyes widened.

"The hell?" he roared. The chest was filled with sand and dirt. Digging his hands into it to search for something of value, he came up with nothing. "Noble was cartin' dirt around?"

"There's gotta be something inside, check deeper," one of his men suggested. The leader began to respond, when there was a distant crack. The four turned, but the forest was empty.

"The idiot wouldn't have followed us, would he?" one of them whispered.

"Doesn't matter who it is, they're a dead man," the leader growled. "One of you go check it out, now." One of the other three nodded and headed into the forest where he thought he had heard the noise. The leader turned back to the chest and poked his sword into the dirt and sand, feeling around. He felt the tip hit the bottom of the chest and pulled it out.

"Nothing…the hell?" he growled. Suddenly, one of the remaining two men cried out, his sword dropping to the ground. The others looked at him to see him clutching his hand, hissing in pain. A narrow cut had been sliced over the tip of his hand. The leader looked around and spotted an arrow stuck in a tree a few feet away, the end still vibrating from its impact.

"Drop your weapons and step away!" a voice rang out. The leader jumped to his feet. "If I can do that to his hand, imagine how easily I could get your chest," the voice warned. The leader scowled and opened his hand, dropping his weapon to the ground and taking several steps back. His remaining minion followed suit. With a grunt, Firion dropped down from the tree, bow in hand. Drawing his sword and pointing it at the three bandits, he pushed them further away from the chest and their discarded swords.

"Firion!" the former rebel turned his head to see a small band of lightly armored knights coming through the trees on Chocobos. At the front of the group, a knight with a more elaborate crest on his armor held up his hand to halt the advance. "Impressive work, our King's trust was well placed."

"Perfect timing Orlan. Tell Lord Mortigan I am thankful for his assistance, he played his part perfectly," Firion said, sheathing his sword. Orlan dismounted his Chocobo and approached Firion. "There's a fourth in that direction, he's unconscious and bound, ready for your retrieval."

"Certainly. The Kingdom of Kashuan is indebted to you, we're been trying to track down these thieves for weeks," Orlan said, giving the three a disgusted look.

"You bear to debt to me, no more than I hold you to repay one," Firion replied, shaking his head. "Pass along my greetings to King Gordon, and that will be payment enough."

"Consider it done," Orlan nodded, holding out his hand. Firion shook it. "If you need anything though you need simply ask, you've earned it."

"All that I need, you see before you," Firion spread out his arms. "If you can handle them now, I'll be off."

"Very well. Another thank you," Orlan replied. Firion turned and began walking into the forest, leaving the Kashuan knights behind him to bind the thieves he had subdued.

_"I must admit, I am eager to see Gordon again," _Firion thought, the sounds of his temporary allies fading as he put distance between them. He had paid many visits to his former comrades during his travels, in fact he had seen Gordon three days ago when he had arrived as Kashuan, lured by rumors of bandit attacks on nobles travelling through the eastern forest on their way to Bafsk.

_"Three days…or many months, in a sense,_" he rationalized. He was certain Gordon was safe, of course, everything else was back as it was. He had been disoriented when he awoke in the forest, asleep underneath a camouflaging green blanket in the branches of a tree. Then he had remembered his actions before the cataclysm, and remembered the capture going smoothly before the cataclysm, it was only when he had departed that the Crystelle had begun to appear in the trees, the new enemies a sign of something gone terribly wrong. When he had awoken that morning he heard the sounds he had heard that same morning long ago, the bandits slipping through the trees towards the very bright and very noisy carriage driving along the path. Firion realized the situation, collected his wits and sprang into action. So it was he was quite literally immediately thrust back into his old life again.

"The tale hasn't ended. Only the latest chapter," Firion said aloud. Now, with the rush of the capture over, he was taking time to consider his return to his world and what it meant to him. His rose was still pinned to his breast, but of course no Crystal manifested from it. Part of him wondered if it had merely been a dream, but he knew better than to assume such. If it was a dream it was certainly the most vivid, detailed and lengthy dream he had ever known. But the excitement of the battles, the faces of his companions, and the energy of the Crystal he had taken from Mateus were too real to be figments of his imagination. Even if he had no physical proof. Travelling with companions again after being alone for so long had been an adjustment, but a small one. And the rebel realized he had missed the company and the security of travelling with others.

_"Of course, it would be unreasonable to travel this path with others," _Firion thought, stopping in the woods. Maria and Guy were leading ordinary lives back home in Fynn, occasionally assisting in the training of guards at Hilda's request. Firion hadn't seen them in a long time, and he missed them often. He was sure they understood why he felt he had to leave, to continue to make a difference in a world he had seen first-hand needed to change. He hadn't asked them to come with him either, he wanted them to be happy and peaceful. But now he was wondering…Firion mentally plotted a course in his mind, his travels familiarizing him with the world's geography to the point he had memorized much of it.

"I'm not too far from Bafsk…" he mused, thinking. The _Liberty_, Cid's airship that Fynn had taken control of after the war, stopped at the village on a regular basis. Firion thought back on his step-siblings and Hilda, and began walking again, the edge of the forest coming into view on the horizon.

"Maria, Guy…see you soon," he whispered, turning to the north.

* * *

The pounding at the thick bedroom door grew louder, and Zidane let out an irritated growl.

"Highness, please, the King of Burmecia will arrive within the hour, and we need time to see you're properly dressed and presentable!" a loud voice came through the door.

"Zidane," Garnet said, trying to extract herself from her fiancé's grasp. Zidane had both his arms wrapped tight around her, his face buried in the crook of her neck. "He's right, we can't stay like this all morning," she warned.

"You're the queen, they'll wait," Zidane mumbled. Forget the morning, he wanted to stay like this forever, just leave their meals by the bedside. Garnet's hair smelled like flowers…

"The King might, Steiner won't," she replied. Zidane made a face and lifted his head.

"Buzz off, Rusty!" he called. Steiner must have heard him because he dispensed with the pounding and opened the door.

"You have been warned about this!" the knight lectured, walking over to the bed. "You and the queen will not share a bed until you are wed!"

"We didn't do anything," Zidane said, rolling his eyes. "You were making too much noise." Steiner's already red face grew redder, and he reached for Zidane's tail waving in the air, but the thief was already out of bed and on the other side of the room by the time his hand had gotten there. Garnet watched with a small smile. This wasn't the first time Zidane had snuck into her room in the early morning to be with her, and Steiner always reacted the same way.

"Steiner, Master Zidane was in his room when I checked in on him this morning," Beatrix said from the entrance of the room. "He has been here no more than an hour, and as you can see they are clothed. Nothing happened so there is no need to be so angry."

"He is still keeping her from performing her royal duties, we've an hour until-"

"Steiner?" Garnet said, standing up from the bed.

"Er, yes Highness?"

"Shut up."

"Of course Highness," Steiner replied. His eyebrow twitched as he registered what his queen had said. He shot Zidane a dirty look. Zidane recognized it, it was Steiner's 'you did this to her' look. He grinned in response.

"Beatrix, would you help me dress?" Garnet asked, walking to the room's walk-in closet.

"Of course, Highness," Beatrix nodded. "Zidane, if you please."

"No problem," he said, walking out of the room. Steiner followed him out, pulling the door shut behind him.

"So Rusty, wanna grab some breakfast?" he asked once the knight was in the hallway.

"Zidane," Steiner said, exasperated. "You know I do not oppose of your marriage to our queen, and I do consider you a friend. But _please_, try to allow her to maintain some sense of honor until you are officially her husband. There will be a lifetime of romantic and sexual interludes after the wedding."

"Trust me Rusty, if I wanted to do anything with Garnet, we'd be doing it, and you wouldn't be stopping me," Zidane said, folding his hands behind his head with a smirk. "So chill, alright? I've snuck into her room plenty of times just to lay with her, there's nothin' dishonorable about that."

"As long as it is just that," Steiner warned. "As for your invitation I must decline, I've duties of my own to attend. However, I received a message from Baku, he and Tantalus are in town, if you'd care to give them a visit."

"Sounds great," Zidane nodded, walking past Steiner. He had teased Steiner a bit more than he usually did, deliberately thinking back to the old times during their quest to defeat Kuja. He really did think of the knight as a friend, and was happy to see him. Tantalus's arrival was fortunate too, Zidane could go see his old family. Thinking back on them though reminded Zidane of the events of the cataclysm, when he had gone into town to visit them when the Crystelle attacked. Zidane had fought to try and get back to the castle to find Garnet, but hadn't made it in time before he blacked out and re-awoke in another place with Cosmos standing over him. It was why the first thing the thief had done when he woke up that morning was sneak into Garnet's room to see his future wife, content to just lay with her watching and holding. Zidane had missed her more than he had admitted to himself during the adventure.

_"Just one more month. 'A lifetime of romantic and sexual interludes'. I like the sound of that" _he thought to himself. Steiner and Beatrix had all but forced him into observing the standard rules of royal engagements, allowing a year to pass before the marriage. If Zidane had had his way he would have put a ring on Garnet's finger and carried her across the threshold of her bedroom the same day he had come back to her. While Garnet had submitted to their demand, she later gave Zidane a coy smile and said that as long as she remained pure, there were no rules on how the betrothed had to behave over those months. Zidane had quickly taken to thinking of Garnet's room as 'their' room, slipping out of his room in the castle in the early morning to see her, and occasionally sneaking out in the evening to spend the night with her.

Zidane descended the grand staircase in the main hall of the castle, a few servants smiling at him as he passed. He casually strolled out the castle gates, following the path down to the city. Growing anxious at the thought of seeing the members of Tantalus again, he picked up the pace. The thief was almost tempted to ask his friends if they wanted to hatch some sort of legally-ambiguous scheme again, for old time's sake. He considered it for only a second though before brushing it away, it would only cause further friction with Steiner, and Beatrix and Garnet probably wouldn't be too pleased with the idea either.

_"Gotta admit, after settling down for a while it was nice to get back out there and travel," _Zidane mused. Meeting Bartz and Squall and fighting Kuja again had gotten his blood pounding from the best times of his thieving days. He of course adored Garnet and was looking forward to being her husband, but he missed the old times often. Zidane wondered if Garnet felt the same, he knew she enjoyed their travels back in the day as much as he had. With her being queen now there would be no more of it unless there was some political trip to take.

_"Sucks. Just how it goes I guess, get a cute wife, lose the adventurer lifestyle, cute wife vanishes, adventure to get her back." _Zidane thought, sighing slightly. He missed the old quest, but didn't regret it for a second the battle with Chaos. He had had his fun, but in the end the only thing he cared about, the thing always on his mind, was getting his home back and returning to the friends and family he loved. The same as all of them had. He had never been more relieved than when they began to fade away from Shinryu's sight, Crystals in hand.

_"No, not fade,"_ he corrected.

_ "We just returned…to where we belong. Home."_

* * *

Night had fallen, casting Baron Castle into shadows. Cecil was in the eastern tower, watching Rosa sleep, hair falling over her face as she breathed steadily. He had been unable to sleep for an odd reason. The night had gone well, Ceodore and Kain had returned with the Red Wings, and together with Rosa Cecil showed them the returned Golbez. Rosa and Ceodore has been openly happy to see him, while he and Kain merely exchanged stiff greetings, though Kain was visibly surprised to see the warlock again. The evening meal had been filled with questions for Golbez, largely how he had managed to come back to life and return to earth. Golbez mumbled through such questions, the clearest answer Cecil could decipher was that he wasn't sure, or didn't want to discuss it. Of course, even if Golbez had an answer he couldn't supply it, the two of them would then have to launch into a lengthy explanation of their quest in the other world. Cecil planned to tell them, but tonight was not the night for such.

Rosa turned over in her sleep, and Cecil stood. He didn't want to wake her moving about their room, and it helped him to wander the castle when he was kept awake on nights like this. He gathered a white robe from a hook on the wall and slipped it on to cover himself. Descending the stairs to the second floor, Cecil glanced at Ceodore sleeping against the far well. His son was a light sleeper, and though he mumbled as Cecil descended, he didn't awaken either. Cecil climbed down the next flight of stairs to the bottom floor and slowly pushed open the doors of the tower. Taking a moment to breathe the different air, he looked up at the lone moon in the sky. A pity that Golbez's wish, the restoration of the Lunarians, apparently hadn't been granted.

Cecil saw movement and turned his head. The shoulders and head of a familiar figure in a black cloak came into view on the balcony overlooking the courtyard. Golbez didn't notice Cecil, walking to the edge and leaning over it, his arms folded over his chest. Cecil watched him for a moment and then moved to the door to the Red Wings barracks. Being silent as he could, the paladin crossed the room and slipped up the stairs. Golbez didn't hear him as he came up, his back to Cecil. As Cecil came closer, his brother turned his head.

"You should not be out in the night in such scant garments," the warlock said, looking forward again.

"Your own attire is just as unfitting," Cecil replied, noting his brother's cloak and kilt. He thought his saw him shivering a bit.

"It is not a concern to me," Golbez countered. Cecil didn't respond to that, taking a moment to let his brother get accustomed to his presence.

"I have a statement, and a question," he said finally. Golbez nodded. "It is my wish to tell Rosa, Ceodore and Kain about our quest to destroy Chaos. And I wish you be there, tomorrow, when I do. There will be questions I likely cannot answer."

"Say no more," Golbez nodded. "I will supply what information I can. Is that your question?"

"No. I want to ask how it was you were restored," Cecil explained. Golbez let out a low murmur.

"I am afraid I do not know the answer to that," he sighed

"Then just tell me what you can," Cecil coaxed. "I have been informed you stayed behind fighting the Crystelle. What then?" Golbez thought.

"Though Jecht and I were greatly outnumbered, we fought valiantly, staying at the top of the stairs to keep them from flowing out and overwhelming us. However, after a time we began to tire, and when it felt as though I could swing my sword no longer, a great tremor shook the Chaos Shrine. The Crystelle faltered, and Jecht and I watched they begin to light up in while light. I merely blinked, but when I opened my eyes anew, I was in a black abyss."

"The Void?" Cecil asked.

"Perhaps, but I cannot say with certainty. I saw nothing, sensed nothing, not even my own form. Then, I heard a voice call from the darkness. It referred to me by name, and asked me what fate I would wish for myself, should my world be restored and you survive." Golbez looked Cecil in the eye. "I told the voice I would live again, my magic and my strength returned to me, that I may go home. And then, I suddenly lost consciousness. I awakened on the beach outside Baron. The rest I have told you."

"I see," Cecil crossed his arms and thought. "This voice, how did it speak?"

"Telepathically. Why?"

"Shinryu," Cecil said with certainty. "The divine dragon revealed itself to us and spoke before sending us home. It said it didn't know your fate, but I suppose it had not gone to you yet."

"No, this was not Shinryu," Golbez shook his head. "I thought perhaps so myself, the voice sounded old and powerful. But before it sent me home, it spoke of a deep shame, and claimed that it was destined to fade from Shinryu's sight."

"Hmmm….curious," Cecil mused. "Whatever entity it was that saw fit to deliver you here, I am grateful."

"As am I," Golbez nodded. A long minute of silence passed between the two brothers, merely watching the skies together. "I have a request of my own," Golbez said.

"Eh?"

"Not tomorrow, perhaps not the day after, but someday soon, I would like an airship," Golbez said. "There is a location I would like to visit, and would appreciate your company."

"What location?" Cecil asked.

"Mt. Ordeals," Golbez explained. Cecil understood immediately, and nodded.

"Of course. I do hope though you remain around long than just enough to do that," he reminded.

"Indeed. Part of me wishes to take to the skies alone and seek my atonement in my own way. But for now, I will remain here. My family deserves my attentions before my shame." Golbez smiled at Cecil, and Cecil returned it. "If you do not mind, I would retire now. You said you would have lodgings prepared?" Golbez said, turning away.

"Yes, the western tower should have a bed at the top floors. We use that tower as storage, but if you want it I can have it cleared out."

"A single floor will suffice, I think," Golbez replied, walking towards the stairs. "Good night, Cecil."

"Good night Golbez." The warlock stopped at the top of the stairs, and look over his shoulder.

"There is one other thing," he said slowly. "I will remain here, but on one condition. As it was your suggestion of such before, I would appreciate being known by my true name in these walls." Cecil nodded.

"Very well. Good night Theodore."

Golbez turned his head forward again and descended the stairs quietly, leaving Cecil alone to look up at the lone moon and utter a short, silent prayer of thanks.

* * *

The fires of the night's feast were still burning bright, casting a glowing light into the sky. On the beach looking out into the sea, Tidus didn't notice. Once the village had heard that Sir Jecht, the legendary Guardian, had returned, a hasty celebration had been organized. Jecht – of course – lived it up, telling anyone who asked and a few who didn't about his travels with Braska and Auron. Even Yuna, Wakka and Lulu had been listening intently. Tidus supposed he couldn't blame them, they were raised on tales of Jecht's heroism with the two, of course they'd want to talk to him, now that they weren't meeting him in anticipation of killing him.

_"He really hasn't changed much at all, has he?" _Tidus thought. He adventures through Spira had allowed him to see his father in a new light, see that he really wasn't as mean and heartless as he thought growing up. But the love of fame and attention, that was all genuine. Tidus had sat off to the side during the feast, pretty much everyone's attention was focused on Jecht so no one had said anything. He hadn't noticed if anyone saw him slip away when night had come either. He doubted it.

_"Wonder what he's gonna do now." _Jecht had expected to not survive the battle, he said as much himself. Tidus had no idea how he was going to live now. Would he want to travel, settle down in Besaid? Tidus supposed he could see Jecht moving to Luca to be near the stadium. He heard footsteps behind him, and let out a breath.

"Hey, Yuna," he muttered before she could speak. "Yeah I left, don't make a big deal out of it. The old man wasn't even paying attention to me, it's not like he'll care."

"Actually, I do." Tidus made a face and groaned as Jecht sat down beside him. "Was wonderin' if you were gonna come over all night, all your friends had," Jecht finished.

"You could have just said something," Tidus shrugged.

"It wasn't about asking," Jecht said, looking over at him. "Really, what's with you? I didn't expect tears and a hug really, but you should be happy."

"I am. Just bugs me how you forgot about me once you've got the crowd of fans cheering your name."

"Eeeeh, they're just fans, they come and go all the time, just show off a bit and they'll flock to ya. The people who really matter, they're the ones you gotta work to keep." Tidus looked at his father to see him smiling slightly.

"You getting' soft on me old man?" he asked.

"Nah, just telling it like it is. You mean the world to me kid, I would have thought I've proven that by now. Sorry if I got it into your head I thought otherwise when you were a brat, but hey, now you can learn right?"

"I guess…" Tidus mumbled. Jecht rolled his eyes and turned his head forward, father and son watching the crashing of the surf on the sand. "How'd you get here anyway?" Tidus asked.

"Dunno," Jecht shrugged. "Me and Golbez were fighting off the Crystelle, when all of a sudden the place shook. Next thing I knew I was in some dark void area, and a voice was whispering to me, asked if I wanted to go home. I said hell yeah, and I blacked out. I woke up with those Auroch guys standing over me on the beach."

"Right," Tidus said. "So what happens now then? What're you gonna do?"

"I've been thinking that myself. Don't really know. I wanna visit Zanarkand again, for old time's sake. Get a look around, try and figure some stuff out. Wouldn't mind settling down somewhere once that's done. Luca's still got the blitzball stadium, right?" Tidus nodded. "Could look at that, maybe join their team."

"The Goers are former champions, until the Aurochs and the Gullwings came around," Tidus snickered. "Now with me and Yuna in the game and Wakka's team in shape, they're a bunch of washed-up losers…you'd fit right in."

"Yeah? We'll see," Jecht smirked. He stood up and held out his hand. "For now, c'mon. Yuna told me to go find ya." Tidus took his father's hand and was pulled to his feet.

"It is good to have you back. Really," he said. Jecht nodded, and started back to the village.

* * *

Moonlight streamed through the window, casting silver beams of light across the floor and the bed. Chest rising and falling softly, Cloud lay in bed, eyes looking up at the ceiling. He had been trying to fall asleep for an hour, but sleep wasn't coming. Something wasn't sitting well with him, he wasn't sure what but he couldn't shake the feeling that he was forgetting something. Barret had come and gone, the day had gone by, no disturbances. Everyone was safe, everything was quiet and as it should have been.

Suddenly, Cloud sat up, eyes wide. Thinking for a moment, he got out of bed and crossed to the closet. He pulled his clothes on, slipped his feet into his boots and headed out into the hall, quickly and silently heading downstairs. Entering the garage, he pressed the button to open the garage door and looking around. He picked his keys up from the workbench and climbed on Fenrir. He turned the motorcycle on and revved the engine slightly, trying to be silent, before riding into the night.

_"I have to see…" _he thought, turning down the highway. _"If it's there…"_

* * *

The wind ruffled Terra's hair as the _Falcon_ flew through the night, the ocean below sending the scent of salt and sea life into the air. Setzer had set the ship on auto-pilot and retired to take a nap until they reached Jidoor. Terra suspected the gambler was irritated at being kept up so late, but she hadn't been able to help herself when they had reached South Figaro.

As she remembered, she was supposed to be meeting with Celes and Edgar to discuss the reconstruction efforts of the various cities, but she had diverted their attention to heading north to Sabin and Duncan's dojo. If Terra had been able to have it her way they would have flown around the world seeing all her friends again, but that wasn't going to happen of course. She settled for the five of them having a meal together. They had acted normally, talking of Narshe's resettlement and the rebuilding of South Figaro and other cities.

Terra had been silent through much of it, simply enjoying their company again. She had also been thinking. About Cloud, herself, her home. Terra was still dismayed that she couldn't join Cloud, but she wasn't going to just fade back into a normal life yet. She had thought of something during that meeting, and it helped alleviate her sorrow.

"Terra." The young woman turned to see Celes climbing up onto the deck. "We're alone now, so talk," she said sternly, coming closer.

"About what?" Terra asked.

"You were quiet all night, after the way you greeted me earlier I know something is going on, it doesn't add up," Celes explained. "So talk." Terra blinked and thought.

"I…this will sound crazy, but it's the truth," she said hesitantly. Celes gestured for her to continue. "I was taken somewhere…there was an attack on South Figaro, something happened…" Before Terra could stop herself, she began to tell Celes everything. The Crystals, Cosmos, Chaos, Cloud, all of it. Celes waited patiently, not saying a word but Terra knew she was listening. She lost track of time telling Celes about her quest, the return of her powers and her struggle to control them, the death of Kefka, her growing feelings for Cloud, the destruction of Sephiroth with him. She finished with the meeting with Shinryu, and the sight of Celes's spirit lying dormant as a potential Warrior of Cosmos. When she finished, Terra suddenly felt tired and leaned against the mechanical shaft behind the _Falcon's_ control panel. Celes was silent for a minute, her arms folded.

"Quite a story," she said finally. "I don't think it sounds crazy at all, considering all we've seen."

"I was so happy when we got back and you were safe. The rest, I was just thinking, and enjoying being with you all again," Terra explained. Celes nodded.

"I'm sorry you had to go through all that alone," she said.

"I didn't. I had Luneth and Cloud and Golbez to help me," Terra replied, shaking her head. "And what I did go through alone, I shouldered it and kept moving on. I'm glad it happened, I was able to come to peace with my powers at last. I miss them now, even. If I could have the choice I would want them back. I'm not sad this happened at all."

"I'm happy for you then," Celes smiled. Terra hesitated, then spoke again.

"Because of all that happened there, I want to do something, and I need something from you. I was going to trust Setzer to do it, but since you know now, you'll understand."

"What?"

"I want you, and Setzer…to take the kids of Mobliz away," Terra said, closing her eyes. "Thomas, Duane, Katarin, everyone, I want you to take them somewhere safe, where they can live and be happy."

"Why?" Celes asked, confused.

"I…I'm leaving them. I want to see this world again, and prove I'm strong enough to see it alone," Terra hesitated as she spoke. "I know it doesn't make much sense, but I want to travel again, I want the adventure. Mobliz as it is will fade away over time, nothing I do will change that." Terra opened her eyes. "I stayed there because I belonged there, but now, no one does. The kids deserve to be allowed to grow up in the normal world, Duane and Katarin deserve to raise their child in a normal home, and I…I need to find a new place. A new home to belong to."

Celes moved closer and put her arms around Terra's shoulders. Terra returned it.

"When will you leave?" Celes asked.

"I don't know. Soon, though. I don't know where I'm going, but I know there's somewhere out there I have to be, a place to find," Terra said.

"You don't realize it, do you?" Celes shook her head, amused.

"What?"

"I know exactly what you're going to look for," Celes said softly. "You want to try and find him. You think there's a way to Cloud's world."

"I…maybe. I don't know," Terra sighed. "I wanted to go with him, Celes, I had committed myself to go to his world that because there was nothing left for me in this one. But if I have to stay here, then I'll find something else to live for. Even if it's a foolish hope, we need something to believe in, don't we?"

"I suppose," the former general agreed. "Alright, then. I understand. When you choose to go, I'll talk to Setzer. I could probably help Duane and Katarin find a place to live in Jidoor, the rest, maybe Kohlingen or Maranda."

"Thank you," Terra nodded. Celes looked over at the sky.

"He must have been really been something, that Cloud. To win over your heart like this."

"W-what?" Terra gasped, Celes turning to walk to the hatch. "No, no, he didn't, I, we were good friends, I mean, he…it's not like that," she said, aware of how pathetic it sounded.

"Then why did you just stutter so much?" Celes asked, giving her a coy smile. She went below decks, the hatch sliding into place. Terra let out a low chuckle, her face hot. She knew, on some level, Celes was right. Terra didn't want to put the word to the feelings, but it was hard to deny the emotions themselves. She walked forward to the balcony, the moon just barely visible below the edge of the _Falcon's_ body above.

* * *

Fenrir slowed to a stop, and Cloud turned it off. Swinging his leg over it he looked up at the building before him – the Sector 5 church. Taking a breath, he stepped towards the doors and carefully pushed one open.

Down the aisle, a small patch of flowers bloomed in the dirt showing through the broken floorboards, beams of moonlight shining down on them. Behind them, set in a block of stone, the Buster Sword laid, blade untarnished and gleaming. Letting out a breath, Cloud approached, boots echoing off the walls. He walked around the flowers and climbed up the small stairs on the church's old altar, kneeling before the blade. He reached out and slid a hand along its length.

Impossibly, less than 24 hours ago he had wielded this same sword to destroy a god. Or was it the same? He had just willed the weapon to appear to him, and it had. Had Cloud just manifested a copy from nothingness, or called the real thing to him? He didn't remember the sword being here when he had visited Midgar before. Deciding it didn't matter, he leaned his head forward slightly.

"_Zack…Aerith…"_ he thought silently. It had been with Zack's blade and Aerith's Materia that he had dealt Chaos his final blow. Their powers combined had brought the god to his end. "Thank you…" Looking over at the flowers, Cloud remembered a time, months ago, when he had met another woman in this same spot, and like the last the meeting had changed his life forever. He was already beginning to miss her. She wanted to come to his world with him, and thinking back he realized he wanted her to come with him, too. She wanted him to show her his world, and he wanted the same. Cloud wanted her back.

"_Terra…"_

* * *

Terra tucked a loose bang over her ear and draped her arms over the railing, her clothing ruffling in the wind. Frowning at a small itch, she reached down to scratch her thigh. She felt something solid hit her fingertips and looked down. She lifted her hand to reach into the folds of her skirt, finding a pocket. Her fingers hit something cold and hard, and Terra stilled. She brought her hand out and turned from the balcony, slowly opening her fist. Her eyes were wide, her mouth hanging open slightly.

"It can't be…"

A small, glowing green orb pulsed in her hand, her hand and lower arm basking in its light. Terra stared in disbelief, swirls of color washing over the orb's surface.

"This…"

She'd forgotten about it, that day long ago in the Forgotten City when it had saved her life. The Fire Materia Cloud had dropped and she'd found in the city. She thought she had lost it somewhere along the way. But how could it be here now? Shouldn't it have gone back to Cloud's world?

"If it's here…" Terra whispered. She focused and inhaled as she felt a tingle of energy from it. It wasn't her own like she was used to, but she recognized it. The Materia orb still crackled with magical power. Smiling slightly, Terra took it between her hands and brought it to her chest, cherishing it. Even if she couldn't have her powers back, the Materia's power was active. A memento, so she'd never forget. A reminder that it was all real.

"_Cloud…"_

Closing her eyes and bowing her head, Terra stood on the bow of the Falcon, the Materia warming her hands. With her eyes closed and her hands clasped around it, she didn't notice the orb start to glow brighter. It wasn't until the gentle pulse grew deeper that she opened her eyes and hands. The Materia orb flashed, the warmth from it growing hotter, but not painful. Terra let go of it, growing nervous, but the orb remained hovering in the air, particles of light drifting up from it.

With a burst of green light the orb shattered, glowing green bands of energy winding out through the air from it. Terra took a step away from the bow and looked around as the bands began to encircle her, winding up and down her arms and legs, leaving particles of light in their wake. She was surprised, but not frightened. The light was oddly soothing, and as they began to touch down on her skin, they were warm, her skin glowing green.

"_Terra…"_

Terra blinked as she heard a voice whisper in her head. She'd heard it before, somewhere, but she couldn't figure out where. The light particles flowing around her sped up, green bands of energy circling her limbs and torso. Terra closed her eyes and bowed her head as her entire body lit up in the same light.

* * *

Cloud stood up from the Buster Sword and closed his eyes. Now, three of the most important relationships of his life, three of his dearest friends, ran through this place. The emotions of it all hit him, and he shook slightly. Turning away and stepping down the altar before he was overcome, he rounded the flower bed and walked down the aisle. Cloud put his hand up to push open the door of the church. The dirty stained-glass windows on the doors were reflecting an odd glow, and Cloud turned to see the flowerbed lit up in green light.

"What?"

Particles of light began to stream down from the rafters, gleaming in the moonlight. At the same time, wisps of green energy floated up from the flowers, weaving through the air. The green light swirled over the floorboards above the flowers, making a familiar shape. The light particles gathered on the pattern made by the green energy, covering the green until the form filled out and completed itself.

A humanoid form of green and white light appeared laying on the floorboards. The lights gleamed and blinked as one for a moment, then with a bright flashed dispersed into the air, the tendrils of green energy trailing back into the flowers. Cloud lifted his arm and turned his head away as the lights went brighter, turning back as they died down.

Curled up on her side, her back to Cloud, Terra lay on the floorboards of the church, a low blue aura over her body. Staring in disbelief, Cloud stood silently, until after several seconds Terra moved. She murmured softly as she put her arm out to push herself up. Her eyes opening, Terra stilled as she stared at the church altar, remember the location.

"Terra," Cloud whispered. Terra slowly turned her head, and when she saw who was behind her turned around fully.

"Cloud."

Not another word was said as the two stepped forward and embraced, their arms wrapped tightly around each other. Their eyes closed, each savoring the reality of what was happening.

"How?" he whispered in her ear.

"I don't know…your Materia, somehow…" Terra replied. Warm tears leaked from below her eyelids, running down her cheeks. Cloud cracked open his eyes, and lifted his head as he saw something. He gasped, and Terra stepped back.

"What's wrong?" she asked. Cloud continued to stare, his mouth open, and Terra turned around.

Standing behind the altar, the flowerbed still lit up in a green glow, a figure stood next to the Buster Sword. Watching them silently, the figure simply smiled. Terra realized who it was and looked up at Cloud.

"It's her, isn't it?" she asked. Cloud smiled softly.

"Thank you," he whispered. The figure slowly nodded, dispersing into green energy and fading away, the glow of the flowers dying down to nothing. Cloud looked back at Terra and put a hand on her chin to tilt her head up, placing a short kiss on her lips. Terra brought her hand up to cover his, her eyes shimmering.

'Come on," Cloud said, gesturing to the door. "You have to meet them." Terra followed him down the aisle of the church to the outside, but stilled when they got there.

"That…again?" she said hesitantly as Cloud climbed onto Fenrir.

"Yeah, it's safe, put your arms around my waist," he assured her. Terra took a nervous step forward and swung her leg over the motorcycle, her hands clasping over Cloud's stomach. "Hang on," he told her.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Hey," Cloud replied, pulling on his goggles. "I won't hurt you. Don't be afraid." Terra's hands tightened their grip, and she laid her head down on Cloud's back.

"…I'm not," she said, realizing it as she said it. Cloud smile, and hunched down.

The engine revved, and roared to life as Fenrir sped off through the ruins of Midgar.

"_**And who knows, starting a new journey may not be so hard…or maybe it has already begun."**_

_**The End**_

* * *

**There are no words to describe how I feel right now. This is easily the longest time I have worked on a fanfic, and the longest time I've worked on any project ever. Almost 300,00 words, 41 chapters, and in-depth exploration of characters and plot like I've never done before. My everlasting gratitude to everyone who read this, even if just a chapter, you helped motivate me to take this project to the scale it ended up being, letting me know you liked it and wanted me to continue. If you have them, I'll be happy to answer questions about the story, anything you were unsure of or whatnot, so say so in your review. Also a small reminder of this fic's TV Tropes page, be sure to take a look and help me fill it out if you frequent the site.  
**

**Aside from a few small stories and one-shots, this has been my main focus over the course of the writing, now that it's done I'm genuinely not sure where fanfiction will go for me now. I have ideas for another fic, a dystopian Final Fantasy crossover universe acting as a sort of crime drama mystery. I may decide to go with it, the basic idea is fleshed out but I haven't begun writing it yet. If you're interested then of course add me to author alert and keep an eye out. I doubt it'll be up any time soon, I have other projects to work on and am ready for a break from writing, but by no means am I calling this the end of it all. I don't know when, and I don't know what for sure, but there will certainly be more stories.**

**And thus, I have nothing really left to say. Thank you very, very much for reading, I hope you enjoyed this final chapter, and be sure to check out my other stories, both those already on the site and those to come in the future.**

**~ Drake**


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